*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[sledger]

Without looking that great I don't feel myself that Chelsea have looked particularly bad either, especially when considering Man Utd and Liverpool have been considerably worse so far this season.

 

[Loony BoB]

Personally, when making predictions this far off the end of season, I tend to look at goal difference more than I look at the points. Pretty sure the team with highest goal difference at halfway through the season has often gone on to win it, too. It's not exactly encouraging for me, of course, to do that this time around. Dang.

Everyone going on about the goal scored by Terry, and how it might not have been a foul (eh, could have been, not sure) and how Drogba pulled down Brown (who was probably trying to pull down Drogba). What bugged me the most - despite not getting angry about it at the time, admittedly - was Terry bringing down Valencia and the assistant ref not spotting it (or choosing to ignore it). Thought it was a penalty, personally. But if I was told before the game that it would be a 1-0 victory I'd probably just shrug. "We lost the hardest game of the PL season: Chelsea away? Oh well."

 

[cpr]

He played last year when you lost 4-1 TBH.

Also think you're wrong about Rooney. He is clearly world-class. Maybe not as good as Torres and Drogba, who are somewhat different anyway, but still world-class. Unless you define world-class as being in the top 5 forwards in the world or something.

With Ikki on both points, never overly got the Anderson love, Nani gets slated for being a bit flash and not having end product, but Anderson gets away with wasted passes and shooting of the direst kind. Just because he runs alot he must be good! Sorry but for me Anderson needs to buck up a hell of a lot.

Also, yes Rooney is clearly world class, not in the same way as Torres/Drogba. The latter two are world class strikers, who WILL bag you goals no matter how bad the other 10 are.... Sorta in the Shearer mold (for a Prem reference there). Rooney is a world class attacker. He's not gonna bag 25 a year unless he vastly changes his style, but he may well contribute that many goals through his selfless play and vision/movement. A regular out and out striking partner could see him become the kind of player Cantona was for us - the ability to influence the game from the front and contribute vital goals

 

[GIMH]

Personally, when making predictions this far off the end of season, I tend to look at goal difference more than I look at the points. Pretty sure the team with highest goal difference at halfway through the season has often gone on to win it, too. It's not exactly encouraging for me, of course, to do that this time around. Dang.

TBH the first team I do when I assess football is take the goals out

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't wanna go down the "supporting contentions with stats" route overly, because I'd clearly be a massive hypocrite to do so, but the one stat that matters in football is goals and Rooney's goals per game ratio for ManU isn't that far off Drogba's. Drogba's scoring rate isn't actually that great (64 in 146 EPL games) for a centre-forward; Rooney's for United (72 in 169) more than acceptable for a second striker.

 

[sledger]

I don't wanna go down the "supporting contentions with stats" route overly, because I'd clearly be a massive hypocrite to do so, but the one stat that matters in football is goals and Rooney's goals per game ratio for ManU isn't that far off Drogba's. Drogba's scoring rate isn't actually that great (64 in 146 EPL games) for a centre-forward; Rooney's for United (72 in 169) more than acceptable for a second striker.

Yes, but, look back to the Chelsea/Liverpool game a few weeks back. Though he didn't score, Drogba pretty much won the game for Chelsea. Can you think of many occasions in recent memory where Rooney has done this for Man Utd?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yes, but, look back to the Chelsea/Liverpool game a few weeks back. Though he didn't score, Drogba pretty much won the game for Chelsea. Can you think of many occasions in recent memory where Rooney has done this for Man Utd?

Ha, yeah. **** did it against us. Won the pen for the equaliser and set up Flecther for a chance he should've converted.

 

[sledger]

Ha, yeah. **** did it against us. Won the pen for the equaliser and set up Flecther for a chance he should've converted.

Haha, would say this is entirely different in nature to the Drogba example to be honest, as any **** in the right place can go down under a soft tackle to get an "assist", but fair enough.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Haha, would say this is entirely different in nature to the Drogba example to be honest, as any **** in the right place can go down under a soft tackle to get an "assist", but fair enough.

It wasn't just that he won the pen, pretty much everything United did bar the speculative free-kick from Giggs for the winner went through Rooney. IIRC Ferguson played him alone up front, which isn't playing to Rooney's strengths, but he did turn the game on its head second half.

 

[Jarquis]

 

[Uppercut]

I don't wanna go down the "supporting contentions with stats" route overly, because I'd clearly be a massive hypocrite to do so, but the one stat that matters in football is goals and Rooney's goals per game ratio for ManU isn't that far off Drogba's. Drogba's scoring rate isn't actually that great (64 in 146 EPL games) for a centre-forward; Rooney's for United (72 in 169) more than acceptable for a second striker.

Drogba has much improved on his first two seasons at Chelsea though. He's hit 74 in 148 in the last three and a bit years.

I'd argue that, while only scoring marginally more goals, he brings far more to the side than Rooney does. Sorry for going a bit ikki on yo' ass, but he's second in the assists ranking this season with 8, whereas Rooney has none. That's before getting into his main value- that as far as keeping the ball goes, any hoof will do for Chelsea so long as Drogba's up front. It's an incredible pressure valve for a side like Chelsea to have. No other player in the world is as effective a target man as Drogba.

 

[Uppercut]

It wasn't just that he won the pen, pretty much everything United did bar the speculative free-kick from Giggs for the winner went through Rooney. IIRC Ferguson played him alone up front, which isn't playing to Rooney's strengths, but he did turn the game on its head second half.

As far as I remember we did SFA for the whole game until Almunia conspired to hand it to us on a plate.

He has had some great games for us though. Bloody good player.

 

[BoyBrumby]

As far as I remember we did SFA for the whole game until Almunia conspired to hand it to us on a plate.

Was given man of the match, so must've done something.

&, I don't know where you're getting your stats for Drogba from, but he hasn't scored 74 EPL goals in total.

 

[Uppercut]

Total goals.

 

[Jarquis]

Either my picture was skipped due to Uppercut's new post on a new page or it wasn't very funny
I'm hoping the former.

 

[aussie]

He's good enough to be in the squad but I don't think he should until he can at least establish himself in our rotation. Believe in paying your dues tbh and on that criteria Warnock should be the next backup. Kieran will get plenty of caps later on.

Hasn't he already established him in the rotation though?. Who else plays left-back when Clichy is injured or wants/needs a rest?.

Secondly Warnock is not international quality, so even if Capello didn't want to give Gibbs a call now - Baines from Everton is wayyy better.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Either my picture was skipped due to Uppercut's new post on a new page or it wasn't very funny
I'm hoping the former.

Had a quiet chuckle.

 

[fredfertang]

Peterborough dispense with Darren Ferguson's services - some people are so bloody impatient - can't see him being out of work for long - we could do worse for the forthcoming vacancy at the Madejski actually

 

[Ikki]

I don't wanna go down the "supporting contentions with stats" route overly, because I'd clearly be a massive hypocrite to do so, but the one stat that matters in football is goals and Rooney's goals per game ratio for ManU isn't that far off Drogba's. Drogba's scoring rate isn't actually that great (64 in 146 EPL games) for a centre-forward; Rooney's for United (72 in 169) more than acceptable for a second striker.

You massive hypocrite, you.

 

[sledger]

Torres left out tonight, Gerrard on bench, hope Birmingham can grab something here, have to doubt it somwhat mind.