English Premier League EPL Thread

[VASith]

More importantly, he brings trophies, including the biggest prize in European club football.

He didn't win a major title with Madrid. Just small cups. Let's see how he does this time around with Chelsea. Heard he signed a 16 year contract with them. I think chelskie has had 16 coaches in the last 5 years.

And if we want drama in the epl we have terry sleeping with everyone else's wife but his own.

 

[VASith]

And the whole not winning CL isn't a big deal considering we are only one of 2 teams to go unbeaten all year. I'd rather see us win the league than CL. PL is a true test of a team, CL is luck of the draw. The best team rarely wins.

 

[thecorsair]

Chelsea's revolving door policy when it comes to managers hasn't stopped them from being one of the two most successful teams in England in the last decade.

What John Terry does off the pitch has no bearing to what he does on it. Him and Lampard have been a vital part of their success.

La Liga isn't a "small cup"

Jose won that and set several records in the process despite having to compete with THAT Barcelona side.

The Champions League is considered the top trophy to win in Europe.

Arsenal fans only attempt to play down it's importance because they've never won it.

 

[greygoose]

I'd rather see us win the league than CL. PL is a true test of a team, CL is luck of the draw. The best team rarely wins.

I'd love the win the Premier League but don't knock how it feels when you see your team winning the Champions League. 2005 was an incredible achievement. People around Europe still talk about that night eight years on.

 

[axecutioner18]

Jose is no doubt a great coach, but I really dislike the purposefully disrespectful image he portrays to the media and public.
We all know his comments are nothing more than mind games and on a personal level he isnt all that he shows himself to be.

However yes for rival team fans, he really can rile you up. Ive seen it for 3 seasons. He was as obnoxious as obnoxious could be. But he didnt realise that for a club like Madrid antagonising the biggest power brokers of the dressing room and also upsetting the Spanish national team players by trying to divide them before the Euro's could force him out.

He has been fairly successful in his 3 seasons in Madrid where he has won
1 Spanish Cup, 1 La Liga and 1 Spanish Supercup title... all in 3 different seasons though.

 

[VASith]

Chelsea's revolving door policy when it comes to managers hasn't stopped them from being one of the two most successful teams in England in the last decade.

La Liga isn't a "small cup"

Jose won that and set several records in the process despite having to compete with THAT Barcelona side.

The Champions League is considered the top trophy to win in Europe.

Arsenal fans only attempt to play down it's importance because they've never won it.

The only reason your lot are still clinging to a solitary unbeaten league campaign from a decade ago is because they've not won anything else since.

My point was that id rather go unbeaten in the league and be the second team to ever do so in 100 plus years versus winning the CL. That's just my opinion though. Not sure how it's "wrong".

And yes we haven't won anything in a decade but that doesn't make me or other supports less of a fan or worse people.

 

[VASith]

Jose is no doubt a great coach, but I really dislike the purposefully disrespectful image he portrays to the media and public.
We all know his comments are nothing more than mind games and on a personal level he isnt all that he shows himself to be.

However yes for rival team fans, he really can rile you up. Ive seen it for 3 seasons. He was as obnoxious as obnoxious could be. But he didnt realise that for a club like Madrid antagonising the biggest power brokers of the dressing room and also upsetting the Spanish national team players by trying to divide them before the Euro's could force him out.

He has been fairly successful in his 3 seasons in Madrid where he has won
1 Spanish Cup, 1 La Liga and 1 Spanish Supercup title... all in 3 different seasons though.

That's one of the things that will stick with him. Trying to divide the Spanish team and the personal attacks against Barca. The guy is a clown. Yes a clown that wins but still a clown. The media loves him cause he creates stories. The finger in the ear incident and saying Mexican fans need to throw more urine bags on USA players.

 

[greygoose]

Mourinho is a winner. He wins, he leaves. Unlike most 'top' coaches in Europe where they just exist and leave with no trophies.

Fergie and Wenger would never have taken the Real job. They were both too secure in their safe zone. Mourinho has the bottle to test himself.

Still hate the guy but you can't argue with what he has won.

 

[VASith]

Mourinho is a winner. He wins, he leaves. Unlike most 'top' coaches in Europe where they just exist and leave with no trophies.

Fergie and Wenger would never have taken the Real job. They were both too secure in their safe zone. Mourinho has the bottle to test himself.

Still hate the guy but you can't argue with what he has won.

Bottle? More like cash. No coincidence that he has coached 2 of the richest clubs. If you want a challenge take a championship or b side team to the top.

 

[axecutioner18]

That's one of the things that will stick with him. Trying to divide the Spanish team and the personal attacks against Barca. The guy is a clown. Yes a clown that wins but still a clown. The media loves him cause he creates stories. The finger in the ear incident and saying Mexican fans need to throw more urine bags on USA players.

finger on the eye actually. The worst part was he did it on camera and then immideately turned around into the crowd behaving like he didnt do a thing. So when Tito retaliated by slapping his head, he started to play the victim of an 'unprovoked attack' making things even more screwed up.

His mind games border on the disrespectful. When Barca announced Tito Vilanova (the one on the recieving end of his finger jabbing) as the next first team coach. High on his La Liga win Mourinho remarked that he had no idea who this man Pito or whatever his name is was. (Pito is Spanish slang for the male genetalia) Things like that really does get to everyone.

Its even worse when you think this man has a history of being associated with Barca as assistant coach for a long long time and was considered as a replacement coach after Rijkaard.

Bottle? More like cash. No coincidence that he has coached 2 of the richest clubs. If you want a challenge take a championship or b side team to the top.

Be careful, his fans always bring up his exploits with Porto as an example. What they dont remember/want to remember is that Porto in that time was going through its golden generation and that players like Deco and Carvalho and Bia and all were at their zenith. The guts of that Porto team took Portugal to the finals of the Euro that year.
Besides 2004 was a bad year for most clubs, the CL finalist that time was Monaco?!

Mourinho is a great coach, but it is foolish to say he works on small budgets. One of Mourinho's biggest asset has been he makes it clear to the club that whatever transfer targets he has MUST be got at ALL COST. Abra Chelsea, Moratti Inter, Real Madrid - 3 of some of the richest clubs in Europe.

However that shouldnt take away the fact that he is a psychological motivator par exellence. Guardiola who was Barca captain when Mourinho was the assistant coach always maintained that Mourinho's biggest asset was that he was mentally so strong that he could literally bully mediocre players into playing like the best players in the world.

 

[thecorsair]

Guardiola who was Barca captain when Mourinho was the assistant coach always maintained that Mourinho's biggest asset was that he was mentally so strong that he could literally bully mediocre players into playing like the best players in the world.

Which is exactly why he would have been the perfect successor to Fergie.

With Jose it would have been business as usual and there wouldn't have been any BS about "transitional periods".

EDIT
Mourinho says some NICE things about Liverpool,
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/liverpool-must-taken-seriously-mourinho-121021343.html#ECQcTVa

 

[RagingBull]

Another defeat for Utd. Big confidence booster for Spurs as well

How long will the board put up with Moyes though? I never thought Utd would win the league this season but I never thought they would be this bad. I never thought Moyes was the right choice though. Klopp would of been perfect IMO

Old Trafford isn't a fortress anymore that's for sure.

 

[thecorsair]

Another defeat for Utd. Big confidence booster for Spurs as well

How long will the board put up with Moyes though? I never thought Utd would win the league this season but I never thought they would be this bad. I never thought Moyes was the right choice though. Klopp would of been perfect IMO

Old Trafford isn't a fortress anymore that's for sure.

If reports in the media are accurate Moyes signed a six year deal worth around £5 million a year.

So if they sack him now they'll be the better part of £30 million down.

That being said, if they keep him it would be much worse as they stand to lose,

Something like £50 million in TV and sponsorship money without Champions League qualification.

The few remaining decent players.

Even more money as existing sponsors would start trying to get out of their deals as they wouldn't want to be associated with a brand that's in decline.

On top of all that their ability to attract quality players would diminish even more than it already has.

Unless the Glazers react soon, their cash cow will start to dry up and it will be impossible to turn things round unless they can sell the club to a sheikh with money to burn.

If it were me, I'd sack Moyes and his coaching staff now, get Fergie and Michael Phelan back to handle damage control for this season and then see who's available in the summer.

 

[gypsycatcha]

Another defeat for Utd. Big confidence booster for Spurs as well

How long will the board put up with Moyes though? I never thought Utd would win the league this season but I never thought they would be this bad. I never thought Moyes was the right choice though. Klopp would of been perfect IMO

Old Trafford isn't a fortress anymore that's for sure.

Lose at home to the spanners, get rolled over by Liverpool then beat United away lol.
Its fun being a spurs fan although I will never own nails anymore.

Looking pretty decent under Sherwood and should only get better.
I actually thought United were pretty good yesterday despite the result.

Moyes should be given more time and the board should put the money up to get the right players in. January inflation will be a factor but id go back in for fabregas, all out for mata and maybe try and get di maria.

 

[thecorsair]

United wasted weeks of the summer transfer window trying to get Fabregas who categorically stated he wasn't intrested in leaving so there's no point them going for him now.

Mata & Di Maria aren't Moyes type players....they're technically proficient.

If he was able to convince them United are worth making the step down to play for he'd either play them out of position like he does with Kagawa or leave them on the bench in favor of donkeys like Carrick, Cleverley, Young, Valencia & Welbeck.

All that's going to happen in the January window is another lowball offer for Baines which will be rejected as Everton don't need to sell.

Moyes will then be instructed by the board to wheel out Fergie's patented "no value in the market" excuse and continue with the same team.

It will be amusing to watch Chelsea destroy them at the Bridge.

 

[RagingBull]

I think if Mata goes he'll go abroad. I can't see Chelsea help strengthen Utd. If he does stay in the BPL he will go out on loan to a team like Everton, like what Jose did with Lukaku in hope that he would help take points of Chelsea's title challengers but Monaco I could imagine wanting him. I don't see a place for him at Bayern, PSG, Barca or Real but maybe Atletico Madrid or even loaned back to Valencia.

 

[gypsycatcha]

United wasted weeks of the summer transfer window trying to get Fabregas who categorically stated he wasn't intrested in leaving so there's no point them going for him now.

Mata & Di Maria aren't Moyes type players....they're technically proficient.

If he was able to convince them United are worth making the step down to play for he'd either play them out of position like he does with Kagawa or leave them on the bench in favor of donkeys like Carrick, Cleverley, Young, Valencia & Welbeck.

All that's going to happen in the January window is another lowball offer for Baines which will be rejected as Everton don't need to sell.

Moyes will then be instructed by the board to wheel out Fergie's patented "no value in the market" excuse and continue with the same team.

It will be amusing to watch Chelsea destroy them at the Bridge.

I think it would be worth another go. He would play every week at United and they are still a massive club who pay well.
I think Carrick is ok but I agree the rest are not up to scratch. Welbeck is another Nani. He can finish at the highest level and then trip over himself and knock the ball out of play. Baines is quality but is getting on a bit. Might be better going for shaw.
I think the minimum for Moyes will be a top 4 finish .

 

[gypsycatcha]

I think if Mata goes he'll go abroad. I can't see Chelsea help strengthen Utd. If he does stay in the BPL he will go out on loan to a team like Everton, like what Jose did with Lukaku in hope that he would help take points of Chelsea's title challengers but Monaco I could imagine wanting him. I don't see a place for him at Bayern, PSG, Barca or Real but maybe Atletico Madrid or even loaned back to Valencia.

Chelsea may not see United as much of a threat now and may try and do a deal for Rooney. I think they have to sell before they buy now under fifa fair play. I just dont get why Jose doesnt like Mata. I know he like his players to track back and put a shift in but Mata for me is special.
He may end up at somewhere like Milan or Jurventus.

 

[thecorsair]

I think it would be worth another go. He would play every week at United and they are still a massive club who pay well.

The only thing another bid for Fabregas would achieve is to provide fans of other clubs with another chance to laugh at United....unless they actually got him.

I read an intresting stat which highlights United's deficiency from wide areas.

United have made a total of 533 crosses in league games this season.

423 of them have failed to find a United player.

So that's 423 possible goalscoring chances missed because Nani or mainly Valencia crossed the ball into the legs of the nearest defender or because Young overhit the final ball and it sailed over everyone and out of play.

Yet Moyes still picks them and leaves Wilfried Zaha in limbo

In other news Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is taking his first step into English management with Cardiff,
https://www1.skysports.com/football...f-confirm-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-as-new-manager

Best of luck to him. With that nutjob of an owner, he'll need it.

 

[heon123]

After Moyes said that the squad was good and that he wasn't in a hurry to sign players, his days at the club are definitely numbered. Would you have Ole or Guardiola as manager?

I'd go with Guardiola because I find tiki-taka and the possession game extremely satisfying.

I can't say much about Ole because I've never see his teams play.

FA Cup Predictions?

United 2 Swansea 3
-If Valencia starts I'll cry

Arsenal 2 Spurs 0
-I'd expect Spurs to win after winning at Old Trafford (Not like it's hard anymore) but Arsenal are too good at the moment.