Football 2011-2012

[eFestivals]

as no one else has started a topic for next season, I thought I would.

And to kick off, I'll start with some predictions....

Aldershot to win League Two ... they better bloody do with the best manager.

Sheffield Wednesday for League One.

Reading, Leeds & Leicester to get promoted from the Championship.

Wolves, Swansea & Wigan for the drop from the Prem.

And a top four of Utd, Shitty, Arsenal and Liverpool (not necessarily in that order).

So place your bets on something entirely different to those if you want to coin it at the bookies.

[ampersand]

top 4 of man utd, liverpool, chelsea, man city. in that order

and i'll leave it at that.

[jammy2211]

Crawley Town league 2.

Sheff Wed league 1.

West Ham, Birmingham and Nottingham Forest promoted.

Swansea, Norwich and Newcastle relegated.

Man U, Man C, Chelski, Liverpool top 4 (in that order).

I'm a Fulham fan, so I'd reckon we'll either get top 8, or around 16th but do another Europa League run depending on where Jol decides to focus.

First Manager Sacked? Steve Keen.

Erm... yeah, predicting this stuff is pretty tough. Nice to see we now have actual competition for the top 4, still don't wanna write off Spurs or even Everton...

[TheGayTent]

I think WHU will go up at the first time of asking, and I've never looked forward to a new season any less. I've already booked three weekends away that i'll miss home games for - which is more than i've done in the last 20 years. i think that sums up how I feel about Sullivan, Brady, Allardyce, and the Athletics stadium.

Even my cricket team aren't cheering me up.

Glum, angry, and glum.

[eFestivals]

First Manager Sacked? Steve Keen.

I reckon you've got that right.

Mind you, if Venkys are as skint as some have suggested then maybe they won't be able to afford to sack him.

Erm... yeah, predicting this stuff is pretty tough.

yep - and it doesn't help that our predictions right now are based on loads of unknowns, because of the transfers yet to come before the window closes. So everyone's predictions could easily be way off.

Nice to see we now have actual competition for the top 4, still don't wanna write off Spurs or even Everton...

Oh, you can write of Spurs - they're now defo on the slide. And I can't see any improvement coming from Everton either, unless they win the lottery.

So I'd say they'll be less competition for the top 4 this year than last year - because there's only 5 teams in it (there were just about 6 last year, with Liverpool's late surge).

[The Nal]

1. Man Utd

2. Man City

3. Chelski

4. Liverpool

5. Arsenal

6. Spurs

Top scorer Hernandez. (Great bet by the way, 9-1 in some places)

Edited July 22, 2011 by The Nal

[jammy2211]

Oh, you can write of Spurs - they're now defo on the slide. And I can't see any improvement coming from Everton either, unless they win the lottery.

So I'd say they'll be less competition for the top 4 this year than last year - because there's only 5 teams in it (there were just about 6 last year, with Liverpool's late surge).

[jammy2211]

Just seen we released Paintsil too... and that Leicester have snapped him up on a 3 year contract. Good signing for Leicester, he's always been a decent right back for us, would have thought he could of got a prem move tbh.

Leicester are building a very good team, just sort of think the whole thing will implode if they don't get promoted this season, which you can't guarentee in the championship.

[eFestivals]

It depends on transfers, but isn't this Spurs side pretty much still very close to the one that got 4th in 2010? Just throw in Van Der Vaart, Bale being a bit better and (I assume) less injuries then last season. They were still well in the race last season but fell short as they just couldn't cope with a full European campaign and premiership, which isn't an issue this season.

yep, it's pretty much the same players (if they hang on to Modric of course), but it's also pretty much the same bunch of slackers who liked to under-perform for preceding seasons.

They didn't get 4th last season because shitty had strengthened considerably, while Spurs couldn't score - they need a decent striker for any chance of any improvement this season.

And of course Liverpool cleaned up at the end of the season, and while they might not manage that same level for the whole of next season I'd still say it puts them significantly above Spurs even before the new summer signings are taken into consideration. While those new signings might not make them a (Redknapp Jr styleee) 'top top side', I think it'd be difficult for anyone to think they make them a worse side even if they lose Maxi & Meireles.

So I really can't see Spurs being in the running this season - if Redknapp was able to get anything more out of the players he has then that should have been seen last season, but wasn't.

[strummer77]

They were still well in the race last season but fell short as they just couldn't cope with a full European campaign and premiership, which isn't an issue this season.

[adustlandfairytale]

Leeds to get promoted, finally back in the Premiership

1.Man Utd

2. Man City

3. Chelsea

4. Liverpool

5. Tottenham

6. Arsenal

Really think Arsenal will struggle this year and Wenger could be on his way very soon. Man City could give Man Utd a challenge for the title.

£20 on Torres not scoring at all this season.

[The Nal]

£20 on Torres not scoring at all this season.

Edited July 22, 2011 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

Torres has not "lost his pace", is not "finished", is not "half the player he was", is not "old", is not "not right in the head" and is not "regretting moving to Chelsea".

All that may well be true, but I'm far from convinced that he's going to be anywhere as prolific for Chelsea as he was for Liverpool - unless Chelsea change the way they play, and change enough of the players they have to enable them to make that change.

So I can't see him chalking up too many this season as things stand.

(get down the bookies quick and put on a bet for him to score 20+ goals ).

[The Nal]

All that may well be true, but I'm far from convinced that he's going to be anywhere as prolific for Chelsea as he was for Liverpool - unless Chelsea change the way they play, and change enough of the players they have to enable them to make that change.

So I can't see him chalking up too many this season as things stand.

(get down the bookies quick and put on a bet for him to score 20+ goals ).

[ampersand]

You may as well throw that in the bin now. Hes joint fave in the bookies along with Rooney and Tevez. (Delete as required).

Despite what Liverpool fans may tell you, Torres has not "lost his pace", is not "finished", is not "half the player he was", is not "old", is not "not right in the head" and is not "regretting moving to Chelsea".

Hes a f**king amazing forward when hes in the mood, lightening pace, powerful shot, good dribbler, makes very clever runs and is a whore for scoring goals, he loves it. Doesn't have the greatest first touch, fair enough, but he never had.

The only way he wont score all season is if hes injured all season, which wont happen. He already looks much fitter at Chelsea than he has done for the last two season at Liverpool. I watched the pre season match highlights earlier. Hes lost a little bit of weight - a couple of pounds only (I mean he was hardly fat!) but they must have him on a different training program as he doesn't look as built up round the hips/lower back, probably due to his hamstring injuries.

He looks thinner and taller. Pains me to say it because hes a bit of a c**t, but its true. Hes going to be great for them this season as long as that idiot Abramovich keeps the ship steady. Which he probably won't.

[Alcatraz]

Gonna go for a top 6 in the PL of

1)Chelsea

2)Shitty

3)Liverpool

4)United

5)Spurs

6)Arsenal

I'm up for a big shake up. I like the idea of some kind of Villas-Boas effect for Chelsea. A season like their second half of last year for Liverpool should mean they have no trouble returning to the Top 4. Arsenal are in the shit if one of Nasri or Fabregas leave before the window closes

[ampersand]

Arsenal are in the shit

[The Nal]

when he's in the mood? so why wasn't he in the mood last season, when chelsea were making a late bid to win the league? when he had the platform to prove everyone wrong.

he's the most over-rated played since zlatan ibrahimovic.

Edited July 22, 2011 by The Nal

[ampersand]

He scored 62 goals in 102 games for a mostly average Liverpool team and suffered injury problems throughout. Regularly performs and scores against the big teams too which can't be said 9f some "great" players.

Chelski bought him mid season amid all the media furor and at the wrath of Liverpool fans, with that price tag and he wasn't at full fitness. He will come good. Guaranteed.

For his price tag, Andy Carroll is the most overrated player ever.

[eFestivals]

their downfall last season was their bombscare goalie

there's always the chance of that happening to another team this season - Utd.

A good goalie on paper doesn't necessarily mean he'll turn out that way, and if he has a bad start who knows how things might turn out? While I don't really expect a disaster, I'd say the possibility is there for Utd to a far greater extent going into next season than there's been in recent years, cos losing VDS is a biggie.

It's one of the extra things in the mix for next season that might mean things don't turn out as expected for any one of the teams around the top.

[ampersand]

yeah he's been highly praised but he could turn out to be barthez pt2.

man utds defence is sturdier than arsenals though you have to admit. though vermaelen would be a welcomed return for wenger.

[eFestivals]

He scored 62 goals in 102 games for a mostly average Liverpool team and suffered injury problems throughout. Regularly performs and scores against the big teams too which can't be said of some "great" players.

Chelski bought him mid season amid all the media furor and at the wrath of Liverpool fans, with that price tag and he wasn't at full fitness. He will come good. Guaranteed.

I don't think Torres has 'gone bad' in some way as some people do, but that Liverpool team was set-up to get the best out of him and just him, while that's not going to happen for him at Chelsea.

So I really can't see him scoring at anything like the same rate for Chelsea.

[strummer77]

You may as well throw that in the bin now. Hes joint fave in the bookies along with Rooney and Tevez. (Delete as required).

Despite what Liverpool fans may tell you, Torres has not "lost his pace", is not "finished", is not "half the player he was", is not "old", is not "not right in the head" and is not "regretting moving to Chelsea".

Edited July 22, 2011 by strummer77

[jammy2211]

The Europa League is a bitch. Long away trips, extra rounds. If you win no credit, if you lose potential humiliation... Nah they still have a fixture problem.

[strummer77]

They've already said they'll play their youth in that... I don't think they'll let it interfere with their premiership season.

Edited July 22, 2011 by strummer77