Football 2010-2011

[fraser_k]

I reckon 2-0 Arsenal, van persie first goal...

[Steve P]

Predictions for Arsenal vs Citeh later?

Ill go with 2-1 Arsenal.

[Greeny_Musicchild]

The leagues been very unpredictable this year but i reckon if Arsenal draw against City tonight Man U are in a very good position to push on and win it, one of them needs the 3 points imo. I hope it's Arsenal.

I reckon it'll be 2-2 as well.

[eFestivals]

The leagues been very unpredictable this year but i reckon if Arsenal draw against City tonight Man U are in a very good position to push on and win it, one of them needs the 3 points imo. I hope it's Arsenal.

I reckon it'll be 2-2 as well.

it doesn't make a lot of difference to Man Utd who wins tonight - either way, or a draw, they're still comfortably ahead.

I don't see tonight's match as any sort of season decider, every team at the top has been too erratic so far for tonight to matter very much by itself. What'll decide who wins in the end will be whether any team is able to get its act together for a string of wins, with Utd winning by default if the season carries on much as has so far.

But if any team is going to get its act together and start winning pretty consistently, then I reckon Utd are the team in prime position to do that before others too.

[Greeny_Musicchild]

A win for either team puts them in pole position to chase them down. I reckon psychologically you want to be right behind them at this stage of the season to avoid fading away. If city win then the gap from 2nd to 3rd starts to look really big and might prove insurmountable for Arsenal if all of the other 'big' teams pick up their form as the season starts to wind down.

Having said that, you're dead right in that no one has shown consistent form so far other than United. I just think a draw does so little for either of them that 3 points is pretty important.

[eFestivals]

A win for either team puts them in pole position to chase them down. I reckon psychologically you want to be right behind them at this stage of the season to avoid fading away. If city win then the gap from 2nd to 3rd starts to look really big and might prove insurmountable for Arsenal if all of the other 'big' teams pick up their form as the season starts to wind down.

Having said that, you're dead right in that no one has shown consistent form so far other than United. I just think a draw does so little for either of them that 3 points is pretty important.

oh, I agree that tonight's winner will be in the better position, but I still don't really see it as meaningful for anything across the season - every club (including Utd) have been too inconsistent for any position for any club at this moment to mean too much for where they might finish. For example, I doubt that many people would have thought that Chelsea would have dropped to 5th by now, even when they were quite a number of games into their current poor run.

And I don't see how you can be thinking that Utd have been consistent, unless you're concentrating on the fact they've not yet been beaten. But even then it's hard to think of that as being anything consistent when you look at how some of their games have gone, such as the ones where they've been winning but ended up with a draw.

Even Utd's thrashing of Blackburn doesn't mean that much - for a start, the result flattered them (I'm not saying they were awful, but they weren't superb [outside of the scoreline, and perhaps just Berba] and it was one of those games where everything went right, which doesn't happen for any team too often), and there's been quite a lot of teams who've won by six this season but not managed a similar performance in other games.

[The Nal]

Even Utd's thrashing of Blackburn doesn't mean that much - for a start, the result flattered them (I'm not saying they were awful, but they weren't superb [outside of the scoreline, and perhaps just Berba] and it was one of those games where everything went right, which doesn't happen for any team too often), and there's been quite a lot of teams who've won by six this season but not managed a similar performance in other games.

[eFestivals]

The away form is really poor, 2 wins from 9 games, and still top of the league!?

I know - it's a very weird season all-round, eh?

Despite Utd's dodgy form, they're very definitely in prime position to go on and win it. I expect them to lose a game pretty soon, but along with that I also expect them to get their act more together than it's been so far, I can't see them performing at the same sort of inconsistent level right thru the season.

[The Nal]

Despite Utd's dodgy form, they're very definitely in prime position to go on and win it. I expect them to lose a game pretty soon, but along with that I also expect them to get their act more together than it's been so far, I can't see them performing at the same sort of inconsistent level right thru the season.

[Greeny_Musicchild]

oh, I agree that tonight's winner will be in the better position, but I still don't really see it as meaningful for anything across the season - every club (including Utd) have been too inconsistent for any position for any club at this moment to mean too much for where they might finish. For example, I doubt that many people would have thought that Chelsea would have dropped to 5th by now, even when they were quite a number of games into their current poor run.

And I don't see how you can be thinking that Utd have been consistent, unless you're concentrating on the fact they've not yet been beaten. But even then it's hard to think of that as being anything consistent when you look at how some of their games have gone, such as the ones where they've been winning but ended up with a draw.

Even Utd's thrashing of Blackburn doesn't mean that much - for a start, the result flattered them (I'm not saying they were awful, but they weren't superb [outside of the scoreline, and perhaps just Berba] and it was one of those games where everything went right, which doesn't happen for any team too often), and there's been quite a lot of teams who've won by six this season but not managed a similar performance in other games.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Greeny_Musicchild

[ralph250]

But if any team is going to get its act together and start winning pretty consistently, then I reckon Utd are the team in prime position to do that before others too.

[eFestivals]

Argument we have gone on a run already really. last dozen games, we've got 30 pts from possible 36. Similarly 19 from last possible 21, and those two dropped points were from the zigic foul/handball in the 90th min. Had that been ruled out, likely would've been looking at 7 wins from 7 over end of nov/whole of dec.

blimey - I hadn't realised the points tally had been that good recently. But all the same, while you've got those points you've still not really been playing to the sort of standard you've come to expect in the last few years.

[eFestivals]

oh Marvin, Marvin, what have you done? Bet you ain't so 'marvelous' now, are you?

"Like to thank the fans who booed me off the pitch. Where's that going to get you! I hope you all die."

Bye Marvin, it's been good.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aldershot-town/8241900/Aldershot-discipline-striker-Marvin-Morgan-after-I-hope-you-all-die-Twitter-message-to-fans.html

http://www.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot50504.ink

[ampersand]

oh Marvin, Marvin, what have you done? Bet you ain't so 'marvelous' now, are you?

"Like to thank the fans who booed me off the pitch. Where's that going to get you! I hope you all die."

Bye Marvin, it's been good.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aldershot-town/8241900/Aldershot-discipline-striker-Marvin-Morgan-after-I-hope-you-all-die-Twitter-message-to-fans.html

http://www.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot50504.ink

[eFestivals]

just thinking about it, i don't think any livingston players have twitter.

well of course they don't. They'd need electricity first.

[ampersand]

some great scores so far!

[Steve P]

Gutted really, we deserved so much more than a point. So disappointing to see City not even attempt to win the game. If they want to win this league they have to try and win the big games, Mancini obviously has only top 4 in mind.

[pink_triangle]

i think mancini played it sensibly, theres no way man city will win the league, however if they get top 4 then things will get very different. It almost looks like every team in the league is conspiring to try and ensure another man utd league title.

[Steve P]

i think mancini played it sensibly, theres no way man city will win the league, however if they get top 4 then things will get very different. It almost looks like every team in the league is conspiring to try and ensure another man utd league title.

[pink_triangle]

Why? There got the biggest squad and can spend a fortune this month unlike any other club. I agree about the other clubs handing the title to united though. Unless they blow it massively now it's theirs.

So who's getting sacked first, Hodgson or Ancelotti?

[fraser_k]

Teams like man utd will always finish above man city because they have good players but also a good team spirit that takes time to build up. I dont think you necessarily need the best team spirit to win the league but I think the standard of players man city have, is just slightly too low to overcome this. Not qualifying for the champions league last season clearly influenced who they brought in. When they qualiy this season they should be able to turn to championship contenders.

As for hodgson or ancelotti, in reality I dont think sacking either will make much difference at this stage. Mid season is not normally the best time to recruit. Maybe chelsea can gain more benefit from a change. Chelsea may feel they risk losing champions league status if they continue. Liverpool will not threaten the upper reaches of the premiership and wont get relegated whoever they pick as manager. May as well wait and get the best possible field of contenders but suspect the fans arent patient enough.

[pink_triangle]

I think in football consistency and team spirit matters a lot, use Barcelona as an example who have quite easily the best squad in Europe and only made one major change to there squad last summer (David Villa) and that was a pretty obvious one who had worked with half the squad already and was actually wanted by the players at the club unlike city who are bringing in so many players when they already have players who are more capable of filling that position.

Despite them being right up there at the moment City won't win the league, its consistency that wins it and sadly i think that means man utd.

[fraser_k]

I agree team spirit is vital but its not necesarily the team with the best team spirit that wins the league so it can be overcome if you spend enough.

[Alcatraz]

So who's getting sacked first, Hodgson or Ancelotti?

[Tomo18]

great first half of the season for us i never expected us to be on 30points at this stage

should be beating wigan though.

had 4subs for the last two games

bogdan,petrov,klasnc,blake against liverpool at the weekend

bogdan,alonso,petrov,blake today against wigan

so im hoping for a few signings this window..even just squad players..as our first team hasn't done bad at all

holden could move on to bigger things in the future

i think this season has been very eventful and one of the better seasons as a competition

i feel sorry for hodgson..i just dont think that squad is upto it

id keep two players from that squad...gerrard & reina

torres has not been interested now for two years

Edited January 5, 2011 by Tomo18