The Premier League Thread

Maybe a little off-topic, but do we have a fantasy league this year?
 
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First one down today, now give us Kent or Nketiah.
 
iamauser said:
I got 4 right last year, which isnt too bad I guess. I know we still have a while till the window closes, but my early predictions are:

1) City
2) Liverpool
3) Spurs
4) Leicester
5) Man United
6) Arsenal
7) Chelsea
8) Everton
9) Wolves
10) Southampton
11) Watford
12) West Ham
13) Bournemouth
14) Crystal Palace
15) Burnley
16) Aston Villa
17) Brighton
18) Newcastle
19) Norwich
20) Sheffield United


Cant see anything other than City and Liverpool pulling distance again at the top, with City edging it again. The rest of the top 6 is wide open. I think Spurs will be best of the rest, Leicester have a big opportunity for CL football again. I cant see OGS being a success at United. Will probably be save 6 months in. Chelsea are on a "Throw away" season with their Transfer Ban and Lampard in charge, so I cant see much from them.

I will re-evaluate when the window closes, but I cant see too many changes.
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Ok, on the eve of the league season, with not much that could happen the last 2 hours of the window to change my opinion, I'll play again for ***** and giggles.

Here were my predictions for last year- 04/08/2018

Got the two-horse neck-and-neck title race bang on. The next 4 in the wrong order. Nailed Wolves as the best of the rest in 7th. And 2 of the 3 relegated sides. So not two shabby this time last summer.

As regards this season-

1. Liverpool.
2. City.

I went with City winning it last year so let's reverse it. But in all honesty, it'd be a brave man to put money on which one will finish above the other as there's next to nottin to separate them.

Not only the clear two best in teams in the league. But the clear top two teams (City's continued inability to actually win knock-out games of European football notwithstanding ;) ) in Europe.

Can't see anything other than another epic battle for the title between the two with the gap to third liable to be double figure points again. That's how dominant and far ahead of the rest of the league they both are and I don't see anyone that's made any significant strides the market to address that. Be interesting to see just how big a loss Kompnay is to those changies down the other end the East Lans. Real talisman and leader lost there.

Side note- If you could guarantee me now, before a balls kicked, that either L'pool will win the league. Or that City will finish first again, but L'pool will be in Istanbul next May with just a chance to win #7, not even guaranteeing me they would lift it ..... then I'm taking the later in a heartbeat and planning another party the banks of the Bosporus again. I fully appreciate any Reds that would take the league after nigh on three decades wait between titles. But absolutely NOTHING beats a European Cup final experience as a fan. And when you win it and know you're Europes best ..... Still buzzing off Madrid and number six 9 weeks, 5 days on and this high will carry everyone right through this year.

But I digress, back to the predictions-

3. Tottenham.

Clear third best side in the Country IMHO. They might have lost a ridiculous 13 games last year and finished 4th. But let it not be forgotten they mirrored up a CL League season by also reaching the CL Final itself. After not spending a penny on any incomings. To then go on and have, the 1961 Double winners excepted, the greatest season in the clubs history culminating in the best weekend away any 'Spurs fan has ever had was remarkable. So reminiscent of L'pool's 2017-18 season and the run to Kiev. SO hard to get the top 4 and reach a European Cup final period. Even harder with the size of squad both clubs had to deal with both seasons. Utmost respect to them for that last year. Ridiculous achievement they all should be immensely proud of.

A little surprised they've not strengthened more to a squad that badly needs more numbers. But it certainly hasn't been for the lack of trying and they might well add another in the last few hours of this window. But the experience alone from last year of proving to themselves they can go deep in Europe and still take care of the league will be immeasurable. Eriksen would be a big loss but if they can hold off Madrid this window they should be sound.

And finally being back home full-time in the new stadium should give them a terrific boost and advantage too.


The next 4 spots is where it get's super tricky to separate the teams IMHO. If truth be told, any one of them could finish 4th. And any one of them could dip out of the top 6 altogether. All have glaring weakness' and their own continuing problems in various aspects within the football clubs. It's a total toss of the coin for me which way any of them go. But for the sake of the predicting game, I'll go with-

4. Arsenal.

5. Utd.
6. Chelsea.

7. Leicester.

Based purely on-

Arsenal being in year two of Emery and having, particularly if they add to the defence today, the best window of the rest. Adding Pepe to an already top attack ..... But that defence man .....

I was, I believe, the only none Utd fan to have them in the top 4 last year. I gave them too much credit .....

Utd are just in a continued state of flux. One of the weakest squads I can remember them having in terms of top level quality. With most all of the malcontents in a very unsettled changing room that turns as quickly as results go still there. Lead by a manager appointed on sentiment who I personally don't foresee being there next season. If he even lasts this. I love the AWB pick-up. Even if he was heavily over priced for someone with little experience and who, albeit with great potential to develop, is still nowhere near the finished article with a lot of current flaws in his game to develop that defensive mess just doesn't need right now. Maguire's a good, solid player who improves them instantly but he's nowhere near a difference making, top CH for that amount for me like is trying to be sold around these here parts. And they've hit brick walls in trying to address other glaring needs that's got more scattergun the closer it's come to the end of the window and the more desperate they've gotten with the continued biggest problem at that football club IMHO, Woodward, still running the overall show.

You can see a scenario where they start well, hit a bad patch, the in-fighting stars, and they drop off gain like a stone.

Chelsea and Lampard is even worse than Utd and Solksjaer to me. Christ knows what either club are thinking but it's not looking too clever from the outside. L'pool had it with Rodgers. Naive managers learning on the job at clubs of that stature is a poor way to go and shows just how far your standing has fallen. Compounded by the loss of their talisman and the transfer ban to not be able to address that. And, club legend or not, watch the owner and fans turn on him if they look like dipping out of the CL again the early part of next year. Just an unholy mess of a football club right now.

Leicester are the most interesting team of all for me to personally keep an eye on this season outside of the top-2's battle for the title. They've recruited really well to an already real solid, young, exciting group. With the perfect coach to allow them to play with attacking freedom. If they can get by with a solid, if unspectacular, experienced back-line, protected by the vastly underrated Ndidi, which is all Rodgers needs, until January and then look to reinvest the Maguire money; they could be the surprise of the season and break into the top 6.

And finally the relegation spots-

Newcastle are in an absolute shambles after S all over arguably the best manager they've had the PL era. Ashley is just decimating the place brick-by-brick. Hard to see them not finishing dead last under that absolute clown Bruce. A club in continued turmoil that's gonna' get way worse before it starts to get better you feel.

I fear Brighton have made a major mistake in the ridiculous, IMHO, decision to bin Hughton. Who'd done everything that could have been expected of him. (You could even argue he well overachieved there.). Mad how clubs like that have ridiculous expectations above what they actually are. Just feel it'll ultimately catch-up with them and their three-year top flight return will end this season.

And Norwich look the most open and weakest of all the promoted sides to me. They'll be entertaining to watch. But equally naive in this terrifically unforgiving league.

But it wouldn't be a surprise to me to see Burnley, Sheff Utd or Villa go either.

______________

18. Brighton.
19. Norwich.
20. Newcastle.


29 more hours or so and the VAR carnage (absolutely dreading that as match-going supporter) can be unleashed on another PL year.

If it's anything remotely approaching last year's edition it'll be another one for the absolute ages.

All the best to your respective teams.

*Edit* I'm swayed even more to Tottenham and Arsenal making up the top 4 after their late additions the end of the window.
 
Last edited:
Will give my shot also but will try to go bit mad and bold.

Poch has worked some kind of master plan and last year of Toby and Eriksen they will smash the club into PL title. Like last year going in point by point with City and Pool. I think teams know how to play agaisnt city and Pool thus the point cealing wont be so high like last season. And in the end Spurs will take it home. (dont laugh)

1.Spurs
2.City
3.Pool
4.Arsenal

Now comes the tricky part. I really would think Leichester would push high top 4 but they did not replace Maguieri and think their defense is shaky but they will be scoring goals left and right. Also think we will see the biggest fall of a giant - United or Chelsea. One of them will drop out from Europa League even and have crash season - my bet is more on United as Chelsea has more experience on the team to carry out games.

5. Chelsea
6. Wolves
7-9.United Leichester and West Ham(would but them higher but that defense... Attack can be amazing with Haller leading the line, think they might be suprise team noone is expecting. Pellegrini second season in charge and he will do some magic. Haller, Anderson, Yarmalenko and Lanzini/Fornals is spicy.

Relegation:

Newcastle
Norwich
Palace

First Sacking - Palace or Newcastle

New singings to watch:
Haller - Big 1.9m guy, strong, not selfish and makes good passing/movement to others, but has good finishing - 15g/15a
Ndombélé - Will dominate the midfield and help to make PL title push.
Pulisic - will fill the void Hazard left.

Youngsters to shine this season:
Dwight McNeil from Burnley - he made Burnley tick last second half of the season and will help them against relegation this year - 5g/13a
Martial

Biggest dissapointment/let down of the season:
Robertson from Pool
Rashford
Zaha
 
1. City
2.Pool
3. Utd
4. Spurs
5. Arsenal
6. Wolves
7. Chelsea

Relegation. Newcastle, Norwich, Palace

Flops. Lo Celso, Pepe, Pulisic
Top buys. AWB, Rodri, Ndombele
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
I envy the lower leagues who don’t have VAR.

Ruining the game.
Click to expand...
I assume you saw the Sterling/Jesus offside call. How the **** is that offside call advantageous, I mean what advantage did Sterling have in that situation what was it I think maybe 2mm or his armpit was offside lol. I've said it before but I think VAR should be used only for absolute howlers or in this case overturn a goal in the offside position only it the position clearly assists the player in getting the goal. This decision goes against the reason the offside rule was created as no advantage was gained from his positioning.
 
dilakh2 said:
I assume you saw the Sterling/Jesus offside call. How the **** is that offside call advantageous, I mean what advantage did Sterling have in that situation what was it I think maybe 2mm or his armpit was offside lol. I've said it before but I think VAR should be used only for absolute howlers or in this case overturn a goal in the offside position only it the position clearly assists the player in getting the goal. This decision goes against the reason the offside rule was created as no advantage was gained from his positioning.
Click to expand...

I think my views as a match-going supporter are quite clear on the continued VAR carnage that's all geared toward the TV audience but yeah, that absolute joke of an outcome was the main crux of that post.

Clear and obvious. Which that wasn’t.

Deciding where an arm ends and a shoulder begins, with an armpit classed as offside is an embarrassing joke for the game. You’d be hard pressed to find many football fans that would have any issues with that goal.

I naturally don’t want City to have any advantage but if that’s the outcome the games heading down a real bad path.
 
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