Football 2011-2012

[eFestivals]

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

or any one of the many other duff goalies that Fergie's tried.

man utds defence is sturdier than arsenals though you have to admit.

oh definitely. But it's getting weaker if the stats ralph has posted about how much better it is when it includes Rio are right - after all, he's playing fewer and fewer games.

[jammy2211]

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.

[jammy2211]

They not gonna send their coaching staff out then? Or any players? It's a disruption.

[Langdale Wolf]

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

[Langdale Wolf]

Anyway - my prediction:

Prem (top):

1. Man Utd

2. Chelsea

3. Man City

4. Liverpool

5. Arsenal

6. Spuds

Prem (bottom):

15. Blackburn

16. Bolton

17. Wigan

---------------

18. Norwich

19. Swansea

20. QPR

Championship:

Promoted: Leicester, West Ham,

Playoffs: Reading, Brighton, Cardiff, Blackpool

Relegated: Coventry, Peterborough, Barnsley

FA Cup: Spuds

League Cup: Everton

Champions League: Barca

And next summer - early prediction for Euro 2012: Germany

[ralph250]

QPR - owners might have cash, but they don't want to know. Colin won't see much - if any - of the forthcoming Taarabt money.

[ampersand]

league to join fantasy football is 10542-4951 btw

link

[pink_triangle]

I think people are really underestimating arsenal with only 1 prediciting a top 4 finish. Wenger has finished in the top 4 every season as manager while at the same time losing the likes of viera, petit, henry, overmars, pires etc while they still had something to offer. I think vermaelen and ramsey will be like new signings, while the kocelny will be stronger after 1 year living in a country with a different language and culture. If Fabregas and Nasri go then I have no doubt Wenger will replace and I dont think he will be fearful about the signings liverpool the team looking to overtake them have made. I think arsenals keeper looks a good prospect and is less of a risk than de gea who could go either way

I think its difficult to read too much from what happened last season. It was a season following a world cup and top teams and players generally underperfomed. I heard a stat that only 3 of the players of the season from premiership clubs played in the world cup and 1 or 2 of those played very little. The top sides and players will be fresher which will probably make the season less competitive in general.

Its difficult to predict the top 4 with only liverpool and man u really doing their business. On current squads I would go

Man U

Man C

Chelsea

Arsenal

However almost certain to change in next few weeks as transfers announced.

[Langdale Wolf]

Is this just going to be a top 4 thread again?!

[ampersand]

Is this just going to be a top 4 thread again?!

[Alcatraz]

Welcome back to the boards Langdale Wolf!

By the way I'm off to see Wolves' last friendly in two weeks time

Edited July 22, 2011 by Alcatraz

[Langdale Wolf]

Welcome back to the boards Langdale Wolf!

By the way I'm off to see Wolves' last friendly in two weeks time

[Benj]

1 Utd

2 Chelsea

3 Man city

4 arse

5 lfc

6 Everton

7 spurs

18 Norwich

19 Wigan

20 Swansea

[spwan-of-the-devil]

nah top 5 or 6 cos neil will still bang on about arsenal and wenger!

[pink_triangle]

Its difficult to predict the top 4 with only liverpool and man u really doing their business. On current squads I would go

Man U

Man C

Chelsea

Arsenal

However almost certain to change in next few weeks as transfers announced.

[pink_triangle]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_7059094,00.html

I agree Micah should be in the England squad but more down to the lack of depth elsewhere. Johnson is a disaster waiting to happen in any big international game. As for Micah being the best in the world, he certainly doesnt lack confidence but needs a bit of a reality check.

Most random rumour of the day from the sunday times Barton to Man Utd!

[Ed209]

I'm watching the LA Galaxy vs Man City game. Balotelli just did this 28 minutes into the match. The kid's a f**king joker

Edited July 25, 2011 by Ed209

[The Nal]

A world class arsehole.

[Ed209]

A world class arsehole.

[chappiepunk]

My Predictions -

Prem -

1. Man Utd

2. Man City

3. Chelsea

4. Spurs

5. Liverpool

6. Arsenal

Relegated -

Swansea

Blackburn

Norwich

[chappiepunk]

A world class arsehole.

[chappiepunk]

Nice to see alot of people predicting spurs finishing above arsenal (myself included). Its about time we did it, so fingers crossed!

[eFestivals]

Not that I want to tell you you're wrong, or belittle your predictions, but why do you think we'll go down out of interest?

Personally, I think the 3 promoted sides will go straight back down again - none of them have bought anyone decent enough to maintain a survival challenge IMHO.

While every year the general prediction is that the the three promoted teams will go down - often on the basis they've not bought anyone decent enough to stay up with - it's the case that often at least one of the promoted teams stays up. For example, the year that Wolves came up and stayed up just about everyone would have said what you've just said about this year's teams.

So I felt that I had to pick at least one existing team to go down, and of those Wolves must be one of the most likely. A strong reason that I plumped for them tho is that the signings they've made this summer (or at least, the ones I'm aware of) seem to me to be an awful lot of money (for Wolves, anyway) on players that aren't jumping out at me as worth it.

Having said all of that, I'm not hugely confident that the predictions I've made for who will go down will hold true - it's probably the hardest thing of all to predict of anything, with few seeming to get it right any year.

QPR - owners might have cash, but they don't want to know. Colin won't see much - if any - of the forthcoming Taarabt money.

that's because - if the statement is true - there won't be any Taarabt money.

(I realise you probably wrote that before that statement was made).

Norwich - bought some 'safe' players who will stay with the club should they drop, leaving them in a better position than they were in 12 months ago, but none of them are anywhere near 'proven' PL players.

Swansea - again, they haven't made any worthwhile additions, and bear in mind that we've taken their first choice keeper who kept 25 clean sheets last season, they need to strengthen and quickly.

I know that there is still over a month until the end of the window, but if I was a fan of any of those sides, I would be fearing the worst. Still, none of them should be finacially f**ked should they drop.

Much the same could have been said about Wolves they year they finally managed to stay up!

[eFestivals]

Is this just going to be a top 4 thread again?!

It's about football. If you have something to say, then say it.

I simply started this thread with some predictions, to give it some starting content. The only prediction I've made that I care about - even tho I know it'll be wildly wrong - is the Aldershot one.

[Benj]

It's about football. If you have something to say, then say it.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Benj