Premier League.

[Scouse Patriot]

What I want to know is how do you beat Real Madrid, one of the worlds best and most decorated teams at the Bernabeu quite comfortably and then go and lose to some pub team like Middlesborough.

 

[tatepatsfan]

Good question. Gerrard is the heart and soul of that team, and losing him to injury is going to be rough.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Stevie is integral but I feel it's deeper than him lacking fitness. Torres is also having a nightmare season injury wise and is out again but we've won without them before, we beat Man United without the both of them when Mascherano ran the midfield by himself. Any team will be less effective with their top guys but Liverpool have to depth to win games without Gerrard and Fernando. The media only say not because it's simplistic and it's the "controversial" answer.

Benitez doesn't tend to play with the adventure you have to in England to win games and thats why we come unstuck against the weaker teams who sit back and defend. We dont penatrate teams, we play infront of them probing for a gap. Liverpool at the moment don't have a plan B and thats why we've drawn so many games this season. We need creativity and more quality in the wider areas. Down the right is an area that needs massive attention and a player like Ashley Young would make all the difference.

 

[tatepatsfan]

Do you think Rafa will be back next year?

I only get a few matches per week on tv here, on foxsoccer channel, but every time I see Ashley Young play, I am thoroughly impressed. I think he's better than all the young middies in the EPL today (better than Nasri (and I'm a fan of OM), Bentley, etc.). Any team with the opportunity to sign him should do so. But I'm not sure Villa will sell just yet, especially if they make the Champions League next season (and it seems they will).

 

[Scouse Patriot]

To be honest I really don't know. There is a political battle at the club right now that has already caused one casualty in Rick Parry, the chief exec. George Gillett doesn't like Rafa and has been trying to fire him for ages while Tom Hicks initially didn't like him but, because Rafa has (for now) the majority of fan backing and Hicks is looking to win over the fans he's sided with Rafa. To add to that the guy who's leaving in the summer (Rick Parry) doesn't get on with Rafa and visa versa. Then we have Hicks and Parry who don't like each other......If George Gillett had his way Klinnsmann would be manager come next season I think.

If you made sense of that you can see there is a bit of a mess I am really hoping for new owners come the summer rather than a change of manager. They're both full of sh!t.

I think Young's a fantastic talent who's easily worth 20+mill in todays market when you take into account the point you make about Villa having absolutely no reason to sell and he has a healthy contract. We've missed out on a couple of good young players. We hired a scout from Southampton who raved about taking Walcott. I was told we wouldn't pay something like 500k/600k at the time, A year later Arsenal signed him for 5 mill.

I can pm you a link to a good site for streams if you like. They show a ton of games from all round Europe. Are Marseille your main team? I like to see how Steve Nicol is doing at the Revs over there...

 

[Ciara's Dad]

W'end 28/0209

On Sat, Arsenal another poor home draw v Fulham. Jammy Chelsea nick a winner in injury time. As previously discussed, Liverpool lose 2-0 away to Middlesbrough. Title gone for this year I think.
On Sun, Villa draw 2-2 v Stoke after being 2 up with 5mins to play. Not Champs League form. Martin O'Neill not a very happy manager.
Manu not playing in the league.

In Scotland, Rangers win away to Hamilton in the early kick off.
Celtic thrash St.Mirren 7-0 at Parkhead.
Both teams still level, but the goal difference between them is down to 4 goals.
With only one Champs League place up for grabs, every game now is a cup final.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Steadied the ship a bit tonight but it's Uniteds to lose now. That game at Old Trafford is going to be gigantic.

 

[Ciara's Dad]

Tues/Wed 3rd/4th March 09

On Tuesday night, wins away from home for Chelsea and Arsenal. As Scouse Patriot has said, L'pool steady the ship with a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland.

On Wednesday night, Manu win away to Newcastle and Villa lose at ManCity.
Villa's chance of Champs league now hanging on a 'shoogly nail'.

In Scotland on Wed night, Celtic play well at Kilmarnock and secure a 1-2 victory.
Rangers drop 3pts at home to the bottom of the league team.

 

[P4E*]

I'll update you yanks and english folk who think they have a clue what football is all about.

Man Utd 1 - 4 Liverpool - Manc bastards. Stevie G kissing the badge in front of the Man Utd fans was funny as ****. made my son laugh. you how hated Mna Utd are when you 8 Year old son tells his mother afterwards how much he hates them. that's ma boy!

Chelsea beat Man city 1-0 - Mikey Essien scoring teh only goal for us, should have being more seeing though we destroyed them.

All in all Man Utd are still fav's too win it all there 4 points ahead with a game in hand but you never know.

Chelsea all the way!!!!!!

 

[Ciara's Dad]

W'end 14/03/09

As P4E has pointed out, Liverpool rip apart Manu in their own backyard, winning 4-1. Didn't see that one coming! Scouse Patriot probably hasn't come down off the ceiling yet!
Arsenal win at home on Saturday as well in their quest for 4th position.

On Sunday, a poor Villa team lose at home to Spurs. I said at New Year we'll learn about their ambition when we see who they sign. They signed Emile Heskey. Enough said. Arsenal now draw level with them.
Chelsea win at home.

Chelsea now level on points with Liverpool, who are 4pts behind Manu, with Manu playing a game less. With 10 games to go, it is Manu's title to lose.
If they do, Liverpool will look back on this year with horror. Beat Manu and Chelski home and away, and draws at home to Wigan and away to Stoke!

 

[Scouse Patriot]

That game at Old Trafford is going to be gigantic.

And it was. Title hopes aside I'd be lying if I said I haven't had a grin on my face all weekend. I hate that lot, I really do. Solid performance and we took our chances (although it would have been 5 only for Stevie to sky one from 7 yards out), can't ask for anymore.

Biblical result.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Scouse Patriot probably hasn't come down off the ceiling yet!

Nope......

 

[Ciara's Dad]

Scouse Patriot
Did you see all the fans leaving early from the Manu end! Tossers. They were probably trying to get their money back from the touts before they headed back to London/China/Japan/Ireland. They didn't pay all that money to see the worlds greatest team ever getting hammered!
Never mind. Someday they will be able to tell their kids that they attended the 'theatre of dreams' and witnessed a horror show!!

 

[P4E*]

Man Utd have the ****est fans in the league, there ******* hopless they don't even create an atmosphere. ****** joke. DScouse fans are the businees, seems like it actually means the world to them when they win. Utd fans should be ejected if they don't go to the ground and cheer. Sunderland, newcastle and teams like that live and breathe there team. Utd are there cos they think there always gonna win. sad bastards.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Scouse Patriot
Did you see all the fans leaving early from the Manu end! Tossers. They were probably trying to get their money back from the touts before they headed back to London/China/Japan/Ireland. They didn't pay all that money to see the worlds greatest team ever getting hammered!
Never mind. Someday they will be able to tell their kids that they attended the 'theatre of dreams' and witnessed a horror show!!

What happens when theres only two of you from Manchester. The rest got out of there nearly as quick as Ferguson.

Referee had a surprisingly good game yesterday too, got all the decisions spot on including a collectors item for any premier league team. A penalty for the opposistion at Old Trafford. "Rafas rant" might have had effect

 

[P4E*]

There's no FA. Cup thread and i can't start any threads so just a head's up, Hull City Travel Arsenal tonight in the 6th round of the cup, the winner taking on my chelsea in the semi's.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Arsenal player in trouble. Arsene Wenger in "I didn't see it" shocker...

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Man U lost 2-0 and finished the game with 9 men after the two players you would think were the least likely to get sent off in a premier league game, Scholes and Rooney, were offski. Chelsea also lost at Spurs 1 nil.

If we don't take advantage of that tommorow I'll go ape sh!t.

 

[Ciara's Dad]

If we don't take advantage of that tommorow I'll go ape sh!t.

With Arsenal winning today, there is a lot of pressure on Martin O'Neill's Villa to win tomorrow in the chase for that 4th place.
I think we'll see the end of Villa's fight for that place tomorrow.
Liverpool to win 3-0.

Hiddink bubble burst?

In Scotland, Celtic can go 5 clear of Rangers tomorrow if they win up in Dundee. A hard place to go, very tight park. We've played them 3 times already, drawing 2 in the league and only winning on pens in a cup game.
Rangers dropped 2 points at home today.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

I'd take that They're a good side Villa but they're looking a little jaded and with a massive chance to close the gap, especially as United still have that game in hand, I'm fully expecting us to win today.

Chelsea had tons of chances yesterday and really should have scored and maybe won the game but thats football. I dont mind Hiddink though, he seems a pretty geniune man much like Scolari.