English Premier League EPL Thread

[gypsycatcha]

I think Ronaldo is the better player right now but I can't see him beating Bale for pace. Big season for Bale next year. He needs to keep up his form & it's going to be a tougher season as the bigger teams will know what to expect from him. Bit like his last game against Chelsea, they kept him quiet

To be fair to Bale, he wasn't quite fit for the chelsea match after turning his ankle and was quiet.
Phil Neville actually played very well against him when we played everton and kept him pretty quiet.
He just needs to build on last season. Teams know him now and this season have doubled and sometimes tripped up on him which is why he is free to drift.

will be a very interesting season. So many questions to be answered.

 

[gypsycatcha]

All this talk about how Neymar will become another Robinho. I disagree, he's no ordinary player and if you compare him and Robinho, they are nothing alike. He is and always was much more promising (Neymar) and its nice to see a trickster like Ronaldo in Barca.

Zidane says Ronaldo isn't going anywhere and is too important for Madrid. That what Ferguson said and look what happened, it would be brilliant to see him back in the BPL. I can't wait to see Bale's face when Ronaldo outpaces him.

He is talented but iv watched a fair bit of him, he seems to do tricks in un effecting parts of the pitch.
And playing in Brazil is pretty much playstation football compared to Spain.

As for Ronaldo to out pace Bale ? I dont see that happening. He may be better than Bale in many ways but beating him for pace isnt one of them imo.

 

[axecutioner18]

Trickster like Ronaldo? Im guessing you are talking about Ronaldo of Barca and later Real.. the World Cup winner with Brazil? Because the only 'dribbling trick' Christiano Ronaldo does are those multitudes of stepovers which dont fool anyone... Christiano is not a dribbler... he beats opponents simply by pace...

 

[RagingBull]

Trickster like Ronaldo? Im guessing you are talking about Ronaldo of Barca and later Real.. the World Cup winner with Brazil? Because the only 'dribbling trick' Christiano Ronaldo does are those multitudes of stepovers which dont fool anyone... Christiano is not a dribbler... he beats opponents simply by pace...

I know what your saying about Ronaldo's but there's no denying how good he is & I personally can't stand him.

I'm not sure what to think of Neymar. I feel he is over rated but at the same time he's very young still & can improve a lot & he's going to a club were he can do that. Give him credit to that he's chosen to go to Barca because I bet he could of gone to a team like Monaco, PSG or a Russian team & earned a lot more money.

 

[heon123]

I meant Cristiano, he's beaten Piqué, Puyol, Busquets,Dani Alves and even Messi not just through pace. I think there's a video of him humiliating great players.

 

[thecorsair]

Personally I miss the team of '94.... Schmeichel, Bruce, Pallister, irwin, Parker, Kanchelskis, Giggs, Cantona, Hughes, Keane etc etc

One of the best counter attacking teams ever.

For once we actually agree on something!

From what I saw of Neymar at the Olympics he seemed to be another overhyped South American with a couple of pointless tricks that falls over at the slightest contact from an opposing player.

So he'll be a great fit in La Liga.

 

[Wanderer]

I think the 99 team was better plus they won the triple. Giggs, Keane, Scholes & Beckham in midfield. That midfield had everything

For once we actually agree on something!
.

I'm pretty sure if the '94 team hadnt been hamstrung by that foreigner limit rule and we could've put out our best 11, we would've won another European cup for sure. As it stood, we just couldn't bring our league form into Europe. Quite sad in retrospect. Ah well :/

Corsair .... As I said in my PM, I'm waiving the white flag!

Until the start of the season anyway

 

[thecorsair]

I'm pretty sure if the '94 team hadnt been hamstrung by that foreigner limit rule and we could've put out our best 11, we would've won another European cup for sure. As it stood, we just couldn't bring our league form into Europe. Quite sad in retrospect. Ah well :/

Corsair .... As I said in my PM, I'm waiving the white flag!

Until the start of the season anyway

Yeah, if anyone deserved a European Cup medal it was Cantona

Fair enough. I think next season will be intresting, one way or the other

So far Moyes has got rid of assistant manager Mike Phelan, goalkeeper coach Eric Steele and first team coach Rene Meulensteen is also going as he didn't want demoting to youth team coach.

I know he's staying loyal to his backroom team at Everton and giving them a shot at the big time but ditching key members of United's coaching staff that contributed to the recent successes is probably not the best way to endear himself to supporters.

 

[gypsycatcha]

Yeah, if anyone deserved a European Cup medal it was Cantona

Fair enough. I think next season will be intresting, one way or the other

So far Moyes has got rid of assistant manager Mike Phelan, goalkeeper coach Eric Steele and first team coach Rene Meulensteen is also going as he didn't want demoting to youth team coach.

I know he's staying loyal to his backroom team at Everton and giving them a shot at the big time but ditching key members of United's coaching staff that contributed to the recent successes is probably not the best way to endear himself to supporters.

Always bound to touch a few nerves but if he is to be successful, he needs to do it his way with his staff.
Not only that, he will have his own methods and could infact cause friction if Fergies old staff thought he was going about things the wrong way....

It will be interesting to see who he fancies and who he doesnt...
Especially Zaha

 

[RagingBull]

I know it's only early days but I just have a bad feeling Arsenal aren't going sign anyone of any proven class once again this season. There been going on about this war chest for months & how they can afford players like Cavani but now the transfer window is open all I'm hearing is Arsenal being linked to 19, 20, 21 year old players I've never heard off

 

[axecutioner18]

I meant Cristiano, he's beaten Piqué, Puyol, Busquets,Dani Alves and even Messi not just through pace. I think there's a video of him humiliating great players.

Pique, Puyol and Busquets arent really the fastest players on the block... as for Messi and Dani Alves.. the names show their prowess as defenders... when was the lastime you saw Dani Alves in his own half? If you consider step overs, and flicks as dribbling/trickery then I wonder what you'd say about true dribblers like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zidane, Maradona... and Im not even naming Messi...

changing direction at pace and making step overs and flicking the ball high and running fast to reach it is far from pure dribbling...

and those youtube fan videos are one of the new age bane's of the football world... too many fanatics of players, too little fans of the actual game. You dont humiliate anyone being beating them to a tackle... in the same way you dont get humiliated by being successfully tackled... all part of the game.

Greatest dribbler Ive ever seen is Maradona, no question about that.

as for how I feel about Neymar coming to Barca? Useless signing - it all became a prestige issue between Barca and Real to get his signature... Barca need to bolster their defence which is in tatters - the only European team which has ONLY 3 out and out CBs in their 22 man first team squad (Puyol, Pique, Bartra) with one of them towards retirement, the whole team is peppered with midfielders... but thankfully it didnt go out in an all out bidding war because the player himself chose which club he would join... Barca's 20mil offer to Santos was nothing compared to Madrid's 70mil
Another time where Madrid's President deliberately wants to show their financial muscle by beating Barca to a player, before the board elections. It wa always like this from Beckham, to **** to Ronaldo... Ozil, Varane were all Barca targets long back but Madrid got them with the lure of playing alongside the 'Galacticos' and lots of money.

 

[meth head]

I know it's only early days but I just have a bad feeling Arsenal aren't going sign anyone of any proven class once again this season. There been going on about this war chest for months & how they can afford players like Cavani but now the transfer window is open all I'm hearing is Arsenal being linked to 19, 20, 21 year old players I've never heard off

This will be another very disappointing summer for us. I have no doubts we will hear the same bs we have heard for many years now. We will again lose out on many players we are linked with.

 

[RagingBull]

This will be another very disappointing summer for us. I have no doubts we will hear the same bs we have heard for many years now. We will again lose out on many players we are linked with.

I know. They'll just blame it on Monaco's spending power this year. If Spurs & Liverpool strengthen properly this year we will definitely fall behind. Bleak times ahead by the looks of things. I just don't have any confidence in the board anymore. If we were an Everton with little spending power I would be completely behind them but were not. Each year there bragging how richer there getting but each year the team gets weaker. I'm not saying they should be spending £50 million players but 20, 25 million players are easily in there reach. A proven striker is so essential to us this season but AW will sign no one just go on about that we have that waister Giroud up front. If this team don't improve this season then I think it's time for the board & AW to be on there way. We were very lucky to have finished above Spurs last season

 

[meth head]

I know. They'll just blame it on Monaco's spending power this year. If Spurs & Liverpool strengthen properly this year we will definitely fall behind. Bleak times ahead by the looks of things. I just don't have any confidence in the board anymore. If we were an Everton with little spending power I would be completely behind them but were not. Each there bragging how richer there getting but each year the teams gets weaker. I'm not saying they should be spending £50 million players but 20, 25 million players are easily in there reach. A proven striker is so essential to us this season but AW will sign no one just go on about that we have that waister Giroud up front. If this team don't improve this season then I think it's time for the board & AW to be on there way.

AW has already spoken out and said he will not spend £25m on Jovetic. I think he will be on his way to Chelsea. This tells me we will see the same old same old happening this summer.

If he doesn't strengthen massively in the summer we will definitely fall majorly short this season coming. To be honest I am still amazed we qualified for the CL this year. IMO Spurs were a far better team and I really don't know how we pulled that final run off. You have to hand it to Wenger for that. My real concern, is yet again, the qualification is seen as some sort of winning achievement. I really think the board at present are entirely happy to settle for CL qualification on a budget. I think that ticks their season fulfilment boxes. I think that is as far as our ambition stretches these days.

 

[RagingBull]

AW has already spoken out and said he will not spend £25m on Jovetic. I think he will be on his way to Chelsea. This tells me we will see the same old same old happening this summer.

If he doesn't strengthen massively in the summer we will definitely fall majorly short this season coming. To be honest I am still amazed we qualified for the CL this year. IMO Spurs were a far better team and I really don't know how we pulled that final run off. You have to hand it to Wenger for that. My real concern, is yet again, the qualification is seen as some sort of winning achievement. I really think the board at present are entirely happy to settle for CL qualification on a budget. I think that ticks their season fulfilment boxes. I think that is as far as our ambition stretches these days.

that's why I won't go & see them play anymore. I just wont pay the highest ticket prices to see ordinary players. I actually hope they don't qualify for the CL next season if there poor attitude in strengthening the team carry's on. We were so lucky last season to qualify for CL & to see the team celebrating 4th like they won the league was embarrassing

 

[meth head]

that's why I won't go & see them play anymore. I just wont pay the highest ticket prices to see ordinary players. I actually hope they don't qualify for the CL next season if there poor attitude in strengthening the team carry's on. We were so lucky last season to qualify for CL & to see the team celebrating 4th like they won the league was embarrassing

Yeah I found that really embarrassing also. I think that speaks volumes of the mentality of the club that they would do that.

Yes mediocre is something that is becoming synonymous with Arsenal. I am not even going to get bothered about it anymore. I have spent too many hours for too many years now b___hin' about it!

 

[thecorsair]

Always bound to touch a few nerves but if he is to be successful, he needs to do it his way with his staff.
Not only that, he will have his own methods and could infact cause friction if Fergies old staff thought he was going about things the wrong way....

It will be interesting to see who he fancies and who he doesnt...
Especially Zaha

I can see why he's doing it as he'll need people he can trust 100% with him as opposed to those that would go running to Fergie if they didn't like something but it's a brave move so early on.

I've seen suggestions that Palace want to try and keep Zaha for another year but hopefully that'll be turned down....United need a new winger NOW.

If Moyes wants to make a statement on the playing side of things the following must happen,

OUT
Rooney
Anderson
Nani

IN
2-3 DECENT, signings ie players of a similar calibre to RVP.

Sadly I have a feeling that all we're gonna get are mediocre Everton players.

Lewandowski and Falcao are going elsewhere, Ronaldo is probably unavailable and I'm not sure Bale would be worth it even if Spurs were willing to sell to United....which they probably aren't.

It's about as depressing as being an Arsenal fan and reading about the "war chest" only to realise that Wenger gets a nosebleed if he has to pay more than 50p for someone.

 

[a-dev]

Anyone watching the England VS Ireland friendly tonight?

 

[thecorsair]

Anyone watching the England VS Ireland friendly tonight?

I gave up on England several penalty shootouts ago, they're a complete waste of time

 

[a-dev]

I gave up on England several penalty shootouts ago, they're a complete waste of time

I really don't know what to expect tonight. Yes England should beat Ireland easily but if theres one other national team out there thats as ****-up prone as Ireland is....its England!