Football 2013-2014

[VCK]

I don't know why people love him so much and bang on about how much of a "character" he is, horrible man.

[kaosmark2]

Ha! Its not exactly a flattering statement about west brom, is it?

"you lost to West Brom!? Right, that's the final straw - you're out of here."

I'd probably have a little more sympathy for Di Canio if he didn't appear to be such a humongous c**t

[kaosmark2]

Can see one of Spurs or Arsenal being dark horses for the title.

Would be a brilliant spanner in the works if either happened, given how the press have been focussed so much on Moyes, Pellegrini and Mourinho over the summer. Plus personally I'd prefer either over Chelsea or the Manchester clubs, neither are as unlikeable.

[VCK]

I was arguing the case at the beginning of the summer for Arsenal, what with being the only big club without a manager change, combined with the fact it's the first year in a while Wenger hasn't lost one (or two) of his best players in the window, but their slow transfer activity and losing their first game eroded that confidence I had.

Still placed a tenner on them winning it a fortnight ago though after the Ozil signing. Odds looking a lot worse now.

[Bobs]

Moyes no good in derbies eh?

Fellaini made to look a boy against the man that is Yaya Toure.

City rampant, and a fine team to watch in full flow.

One other thing - Moyes' comments were classless. Hope he gets charged by the FA for them, not the first Man Utd manager to be an ungracious loser.

[kaosmark2]

It was the Ozil signing that swayed me into thinking this.

What they don't have, which Man City and, as their fans are very much aware of, Man United do have, is a world class striker. Which is why I think they will go for one in the January window.

The fact that they've shelled out 40 million on one of the best CMs in the world seemingly out of nowhere has confirmed something I've suspected for a long time - that they're sitting on a wad of cash. All those Champions League gate receipts and TV money from down the years which has barely been touched. And the Ozil signing was a clear statement of intent, perhaps there will be more to come.

[Bobs]

Any other top strikers half-available they could go for? Ozil may be a marquee massive-money signing, but he's still a young player and that policy doesn't seem to have gone. Balotelli or El Shaarawy maybe? I can't think of other options.

[VCK]

Benzema wouldn't be too bad of a shout actually. I'd have suggested Gomez if he hadn't already gone to Fiorentina, he was linked with Chelsea in the summer and to be honest, he's the world class striker Chelsea have been in need of. What's Lewandowski saying?

I'd hate it if Balotelli - sorry, LADotelli (mega ROFLz!!!11) - came back to the Premier League. I have not missed his fanboys having an orgasm over him scoring a tap in. Plus he was massively overrated IMO, 4th best striker at Man City after Aguero, Tevez and Dzeko. Had the occasional good game but lacked consistency.

[eFestivals]

This could run for a while

You could be right.

Then again, they get a significant team upgrade this week ... tho with Utd having got their arses whipped yesterday it's probably the case that Liverpool are going to get the backlash* on Wednesday.

(* tho if it's more of the same from Utd, I'll start having trouble seeing Moyes in his job by xmas).

---

So anyway, what's the measure for your "will have trouble scoring"? For a convo centred around the top 6 (that's the "traditional top 6" for you Utd fans, don't worry, you've not been forgotten ) then surely they'd have to be the lowest scorers of those top 6? I really can't see that given their scoring last season (or half a season, for Sturridge). At least one of those 6 will score less, and more likely two of them I reckon.

Liverpool have so-far been picking up significant points while playing pretty shit - much worse than the sum of their players, I'm sure everyone but the most biased could agree. Even if they do badly on the points front from here on in, I can't see them keeping playing that badly or keep scoring at the current low rate.

[lost]

honestly can't believe some of the knee jerking going on over utd after 6 games. You wouldn't think Moyes had the best record against city before yesterday and fergie also got stuffed by city. In my opinion last year greatly flattered utd by van persies amazing form and their two closest rivals being unsettled. I think fergie knew exactly what he was doing getting out when he did. Young was shocking, Ferdinand has lost pace and I've never rated wellbeck. I'd at least give Moyes time to built his own team and equally as I expect utd to be back in for baines in Jan and jags and distin the wrong side of 30 judge Martinez when he has to build his own defence.

[eFestivals]

One other thing - Moyes' comments were classless. Hope he gets charged by the FA for them, not the first Man Utd manager to be an ungracious loser.

I agree. Everyone has to play everyone, and to blame poor performances on the fixtures is taking the piss out of your own abilities as manager; to suggest the fixtures have been fixed when there's always some teams getting bum runs of games (was it fixed against liverpool at the beginning of last season, for example?) is grossly stupid at best, while suggesting some sort of anti-Utd conspiracy is laughable considering the favouritism over the years.

Having said all that I was quite surprised by Moye's honesty in how poor his team were; I was even more surprised by his rabbit-in-the-headlights look and the fear in his eyes.

A very interesting weekend, with a very interesting Wednesday to come - whichever way things go then.

[eFestivals]

It was the Ozil signing that swayed me into thinking this.

Ozil is clearly a great player and a great addition.

But it might well be that Flamini is the better signing. Just remember how big a loss it was for Arsenal when he left before!

[eFestivals]

honestly can't believe some of the knee jerking going on over utd after 6 games. You wouldn't think Moyes had the best record against city before yesterday and fergie also got stuffed by city. In my opinion last year greatly flattered utd by van persies amazing form and their two closest rivals being unsettled. I think fergie knew exactly what he was doing getting out when he did. Young was shocking, Ferdinand has lost pace and I've never rated wellbeck. I'd at least give Moyes time to built his own team and equally as I expect utd to be back in for baines in Jan and jags and distin the wrong side of 30 judge Martinez when he has to build his own defence.

for me, it's not so much the results that are making Moyes look suspect but the team selections and the performances - both of which I have trouble seeing as bad if under fergie.

Remember, one of Fergie's great skills was getting (comparatively) average players playing better as a unit than their combined individual skills. I'd seen Moyes as the guy who'd be most likely to continue that but it's starting to look as tho he can't.

I'm starting to love Kaginwa tho ... each time Moyes doesn't pick him his rating shoots even higher from the comments by Utd fans. He's already the best player in the world, so if does ever get a game I'm sure he'll win the match by himself.

[pink_triangle]

Well I believed the noises coming out in April/May time about how they were ready to spend. I thought they'd go for a £30m striker rather than a £40m CAM but ultimately, a top quality player is a top quality player. The statement of intent coming from that Ozil signing will have given a lift around the place, probably enough of one to cover over the cracks that remain in their squad (lack of a 4th CB, unreliable keeper and no 20 goal/season striker), at least until January.

I don't know whether they'll go for a signing in January, I think it depends on how things go until then. A striker is an obvious shortage, I rate Giroud and Podolski a lot more than other people on here but with the latter being injured they're vulnerable at present.

[eFestivals]

Efestivals - Moyes making stupid comments to the media is nothing different to what the vast majoirty of other managers do.

I'm not sure about that. It's one thing moaning about a difficult starting run of fixtures, it's another thing to suggest that that difficult starting run of fixtures is some sort of conspiracy.

And generally, in the past, Moyes has been one of the managers who's tended to speak much less bollocks than other managers. If you take it back a few years he'd be one of the managers who'd take the piss out of another who came out with the sort of guff he's been spouting lately.

Ten minutes at Man Utd and he's turned into the same stupid arse that fergie often was. It's one thing to take the pressure of your players with a choice of words, it's another thing entirely to spout empty guff.

I'd say from his post-match yesterday that he's starting to feel the internal heat and is looking for excuses - but he's not going to succeed in deflection like that when he's inherited an unchanged title winning side.

[eFestivals]

I however still see Man Utd as contenders, untill there is more evidence they are failing in the matches that they really should be winning.

I'm not so stupid as to write them off just yet, but just one point from three matches against other top teams is not exactly the Man Utd of fergie, is it?

If they'd been significant changes to the squad then they'd be the fair excuse of having new players settle in, but there's none of that. This is a squad that won the Prem at walking pace last year don't forget.

[5co77ie]

It's early days but I think the league is Arsenal's to throw away now.

[pink_triangle]

I'm not so stupid as to write them off just yet, but just one point from three matches against other top teams is not exactly the Man Utd of fergie, is it?

If they'd been significant changes to the squad then they'd be the fair excuse of having new players settle in, but there's none of that. This is a squad that won the Prem at walking pace last year don't forget.

[kaosmark2]

Are you kidding? There's no doubting his talent, but look how stroppy he was at City, he wanted to go back to his boyhood club (Who he supported), and eventually got it! No shock to see his record since moving home is truly ridiculous! He's never leaving there unless he gets bored.

I genuinely believe they'll go back for Benzema IF they carry on the way they are, if they are genuine title contenders, they'll show it. I admire Arsenal, they play great football, and whilst maybe Wenger could have spent more, he's done a tremendous job. Them and Tottenham are proper clubs, I like them. West Ham have a good fanbase too and i respect them too.

[kaosmark2]

(* tho if it's more of the same from Utd, I'll start having trouble seeing Moyes in his job by xmas).

[kaosmark2]

Ozil is clearly a great player and a great addition.

But it might well be that Flamini is the better signing. Just remember how big a loss it was for Arsenal when he left before!

[eFestivals]

I was amazed that Arsenal had let Flamini run down his contract.

I don't think they did. As I remember it, he refused to sign a new contract, with a part of it being that he wasn't convinced that Arsenal were on the up ... and that turned out to be right (tho i've little doubt they would have done better if he'd stayed).

And I read recently in some newspaper that he's told Wenger he's not staying now if he can engineer himself a move to the french club he supports (Monaco or Marseilles, I forget which).

[eFestivals]

Lewandowski made noises about Bayern, and specifically Bayern, rather than leaving Dortmund, then agreed to see out his contract. Arsenal would have to do a major convincer to both club and player to get him.

they managed that with Ozil ... and with the other Germans at the club, and Arsenal seemingly really on an up now, perhaps it won't be impossible.

I guess Bayern hold the key tho.

[kaosmark2]

I don't think they did. As I remember it, he refused to sign a new contract, with a part of it being that he wasn't convinced that Arsenal were on the up ... and that turned out to be right (tho i've little doubt they would have done better if he'd stayed).

And I read recently in some newspaper that he's told Wenger he's not staying now if he can engineer himself a move to the french club he supports (Monaco or Marseilles, I forget which).

[eFestivals]

They need to convince Lewandowski and Dortmund beyond finances that it's a workable deal for all parties.

if his contract has run down they won't need to convince Dortmund.

And Lewadowski's Polish not German? Or are you thinking in terms of common language + reduced culture shock?

language and reduced culture shock.