*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Pothas]

Well Arsenal have lost to teams worse than United and Chelsea before and will do so again. As decent as they were against Chelsea they were distinctly unimpressive in victory against Liverpool. They're still visibly missing a lot of important players and I can only see them stuttering along for the rest of the season, possibly to a 2nd placed finish, but it's hard to see United and Chelsea both dropping six more points than the Gunners.

This season (unlike last year) Arsenal have actually been very good at beating the sides they should, outside Chelsea and Man Utd they have only lost to Man City and Sunderland this season. I think they wiill have a good run in and have half a chance but do have a horrible feeling that Man utd are getting it together like they always do, unless Rooney gets injured of course.

 

[Uppercut]

This season (unlike last year) Arsenal have actually been very good at beating the sides they should, outside Chelsea and Man Utd they have only lost to Man City and Sunderland this season. I think they wiill have a good run in and have half a chance but do have a horrible feeling that Man utd are getting it together like they always do, unless Rooney gets injured of course.

Yeah, I meant drop points, my bad.

I dunno, I just thought they looked a full class below United and Chelsea in the two crunch games, and it would be strange if they were to finish above both of them. Even if they get it together and start playing as well as they can, Almunia, their direness at defending set pieces and the lack of any strikers at all will surely cost them a few points towards the end of the season. I'm ready to be proven wrong, but I just can't see them taking the title anymore. Before those two games I thought they were in with a great chance.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, I meant drop points, my bad.

I dunno, I just thought they looked a full class below United and Chelsea in the two crunch games, and it would be strange if they were to finish above both of them. Even if they get it together and start playing as well as they can, Almunia, their direness at defending set pieces and the lack of any strikers at all will surely cost them a few points towards the end of the season. I'm ready to be proven wrong, but I just can't see them taking the title anymore. Before those two games I thought they were in with a great chance.

But in the past they've managed to outclass the rest of the top 4 in the games between the sides, yet chuck stupid points away that they should be taking.

I don't expect Arsenal to win the title this season. But they shouldn't be ruled out.

 

[Uppercut]

I'm not ruling them out completely. I don't do that when there's a third of the season left to play. I'm just playing down their chances a bit. Whereas before I was one of those who thought they had a great chance.

 

[Craig]

Notlob v Tottenham, which one is the lesser of two evils here?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Notlob v Tottenham, which one is the lesser of two evils here?

Bolton, clearly.

 

[GIMH]

Tottenham, clearly

 

[BoyBrumby]

Tottenham, clearly

Nah. T*ttenham are the essence of evil distilled into football club form. Notlob are just ****s.

 

[cpr]

What a freekick by Ambrose, dont stop them easily.

 

[Matteh]

Depends if you hate Jews or Northerners. Personally i dislike Northerners far far more.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I dislike Harry Redknapp more than most.

 

[grecian]

I've nowt against Bolton since Fat Sam left, and Spurs are always good for comedic value.

Now O'Neill against Colin is a much harder choice. Two total football goals from the free-flowing Villa though....

 

[cpr]

Hahahahahahaha


Colin off on one. Brilliant

 

[Uppercut]

The BBC chose a rather tasteless picture to illustrate that Chelsea were drawn against Citeh/Stoke in the cup. Wayne Bridge won't be getting this mental image out of his head for a while:

 

[sledger]

BBC Sport - Football - Premier League ponders play-offs for Champions League

No no no no no, not in favour of this.

 

[BoyBrumby]

BBC Sport - Football - Premier League ponders play-offs for Champions League

No no no no no, not in favour of this.

Disagree, myself. We're probably one of the two "big 4" most likely to suffer, but aside from self-interest I can't see any reason to object in principle. I think it would create more interest for longer. It's the same philosophy as with the promotion play-offs, it makes for fewer meaningless games.

Only issues are the extra games to squeeze it and the likelihood of it overshadowing the already devalued FA Cup final.

 

[Loony BoB]

People can go on and on about how "but then maybe it will be different to the big four for a change" - but can you imagine how crap the fans of, say, Aston Villa would feel if they got 4th spot, finally managing to break up the "big four" after a long run of them being the same - and then missing out on the CL to the same club they replaced because of playoffs?

 

[sledger]

Disagree, myself. We're probably one of the two "big 4" most likely to suffer, but aside from self-interest I can't see any reason to object in principle. I think it would create more interest for longer. It's the same philosophy as with the promotion play-offs, it makes for fewer meaningless games.

Only issues are the extra games to squeeze it and the likelihood of it overshadowing the already devalued FA Cup final.

I dislike the promotional play-offs as well, for exactly the same reasons. Sure, it increases the chance of a fair few more interesting/exciting/significant matches per season. But it also allows for a team who has been consistantly better over the course of a season to be ousted by a side who are a siginificant amount of points behind them in the table. In theory anyway, obviously in practise it doesn't often work out like this, but I still dislike the concept.

 

[BoyBrumby]

People can go on and on about how "but then maybe it will be different to the big four for a change" - but can you imagine how crap the fans of, say, Aston Villa would feel if they got 4th spot, finally managing to break up the "big four" after a long run of them being the same - and then missing out on the CL to the same club they replaced because of playoffs?

Ha, probably some irony that this is being discussed in the season where it looks like the cartel might be broken finally, yes.

Still reckon yer Spurts, Villa & Toffees all likely to be in favour tho. Only team I could see siding with the big 4 is Citeh. Article I read said it needs 14-6 majority to pass so will most likely come to pass.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I dislike the promotional play-offs as well, for exactly the same reasons. Sure, it increases the chance of a fair few more interesting/exciting/significant matches per season. But it also allows for a team who has been consistantly better over the course of a season to be ousted by a side who are a siginificant amount of points behind them in the table. In theory anyway, obviously in practise it doesn't often work out like this, but I still dislike the concept.

It's a valid view and a lot of my mates share it (it's worth most who do are Ipswich fans and Town have probably suffered more than most in play-offs), but I've always been in favour of the play-offs so couldn't object without being a hypocrite.