Re: Barclay's Premier League '14-'15 discussion V6

by Art Morte Thu Jan 22, 2015 3:50 pm

Obviously the Premier League today is better quality as a whole than previously.

Let's look 10 years back:

Bolton and Middlesbrough finished 6th and 7th and got into Europe.

Their top scorers in the PL that season were El Hadji Diouf and a 32-year-old Hasselbaink, respectively.

Bolton had paid a transfer fee for three players that season, with Gary Speed (rip) the most expensive of them at £750k. Middlesbrough had signed five players in total and paid a fee for only one of them, Mark Viduka was their marquee signing at £4.5m, a forward who has 11 goals for Australia during his career.

That is stuff and numbers that would look commonplace in the Championship nowadays (where both of those clubs incidentally are right now). And these teams finished 6th and 7th in the Premier League 10 years ago.

The overall quality in the PL is much better than previously.

by Curtinho Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:13 pm

Yeah but 10 years ago Manchester City had finished 16th and only recently gained promotion. Now they just won the title. Clearly the league has weakened at the top. Laughing

by izzy Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:25 pm

El Cujo wrote:Eh, the top teams now are not worse than the top teams of the past.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

rofl

by B-Mac Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:07 pm

Red Alert wrote:Oh how the mighty have fallen ffs. You're about as relevant as Spurs nowadays.

rightttttt

we sign Di Maria, and Falcao's without CL and our worst season in about 20 years....and you sign.....Lambert and Lallana after the most successful season you've had in almost a decade

by Glory Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:14 pm

Blue Barrett wrote:
Lumiere_Blanche wrote:
Blue Barrett wrote:

Tear us apart at Stamford Bridge

Hope you wont regret saying this. And hope this post will help you avert a possible jinx in store for you.
You can thank me later.

Errr why? So if we lose I get to cry to GL gods and kill a sacrificial lamb or what? Get real. We all have opinions. The players are the ones who play the matches at the end of the day. No big deal.

Was just kidding mate. relax. However that comment of yours has got the potential to come back and bite you. possible jinx. It happens in GL often.

by Art Morte Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:23 pm

Bolton striker Emile Heskey says he is delighted to be going back to Liverpool as a player in the FA Cup when only a few months ago he was working for the club's TV channel.

The ex-England international played for the Reds from 2000-2004. He is in Bolton's squad for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Anfield.

"It's a wonderful thing to go back to Anfield. Only a few months ago I was working on LFC TV! To go back as a player at 37 is great," Heskey said.

"The fans were wonderful to me while I was there and I'll hopefully get a good reception and play my heart out. To be there on that stage brings the best out of you."

The veteran forward scored 60 goals in 223 appearances in all competitions during his time at Liverpool.

He returned to English football after signing a short-term deal with Bolton in December following a spell with Australian A-League side Newcastle Jets.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30936240

I think it's a fantastic little story that Heskey is coming to Anfield for a competitive match, still at the age of 37 and after seemingly having had left English football behind him already a couple years back. Sentimental things like this add a nice little backdrop to a football game pirat

by El Gunner Thu Jan 22, 2015 7:44 pm

Katy Perry wrote:And what makes this Chelsea worse than the other champions?

Not talking about Mou's first Chelsea 04-06 or Ronaldo's United 07-09 as they were back-to-back winners and I'd wait for us to win it again next season before making the comparison, but for example post Ronaldo United that won it in 11 and 13 was almost the same players that flopped hard under Moyes and that needed 200M signings this season, so it was pretty much all SAF.

City that won it in 12 and 14 it was pretty much their direct rivals that bottled it hard in the last 4 games.

Having watched 09-10 Chelsea as well as this season Chelsea I'd say we're better now. Costa is having an even better season than 2010 Drogba, we don't have Malouda/Kalou/Anelka as our attacking midfielders/wingers anymore but Hazard, Oscar, Willy and now Cuadrado, Cesc's assists are what Lamp's goal were, Matic is better than that season's Essien/Ballack, JT and Iva are as good as they were back then, Azpi is solid, Cahill despite being in a poor form is not a bad defender either and Courtois is a beast. Plus, in my opinion, Mou as a coach at Chelsea > Carlo as a coach at Chelsea

Bookmarked.

Did I miss something?

by Helmer Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:17 pm

I read it too and laughed like anything. But then I realised who d f is going to take it away in the next season. Then i had to laugh even more when i realised that this season isnt over yet.

by Blue Barrett Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:26 am

Lumiere_Blanche wrote:
Blue Barrett wrote:
Lumiere_Blanche wrote:

Hope you wont regret saying this. And hope this post will help you avert a possible jinx in store for you.
You can thank me later.

Errr why? So if we lose I get to cry to GL gods and kill a sacrificial lamb or what? Get real. We all have opinions. The players are the ones who play the matches at the end of the day. No big deal.

Was just kidding mate. relax. However that comment of yours has got the potential to come back and bite you. possible jinx. It happens in GL often.

Was just hedging my comment so it doesn't bite me too badly if things go south Laughing

by McAgger Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:30 am

RealGunner wrote:Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Diego Costa in tunnel bust-up

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/21/liverpool-jordan-henderson-chelsea-diego-costa-tunnel-bust-up?

Henderson

https://vine.co/v/OIpidYvXwaI

by Red Alert Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:40 am

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:
Red Alert wrote:
Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:So tedious, because Chelsea are not as good as past champions = league must have dropped off.

Ignoring the fact that teams behind the top 4 are vastly better.... The mere fact Ashley Young the best player on a villa team managed by Martin *bleep* O'Neill was challenging for a CL spot says it all.

Seriously? Ashley Young is like the 15th best player on a Man Yoo team which is shite according to everyone.

I could go further but I really can't be arsed, it's all total nostalgic driven nonsense.

The top teams have dropped, it's not even an argument. lol
They've dropped, so the lesser crapper sides are more "equal" to them.

Being a mid-table club = your most likely "fighting" for a CL spot nowadays. So there's about 8 teams there fighting for 2 spots (City/Chelsea are pretty much guaranteed). The rest of the 10 are fighting to stay up. There's no more "big" gaps in quality. lol

You can see leagues more difficult = it's better, but yeah no. Leagues been crap since 2011. Well before that really, but atleast teams in 2011 were decent in Europe atleast...

Top teams being worse doesn’t mean the league is worse, I know people here only care about the big teams and want to see them roll over everyone like they used to but there's more than 4 teams.

It's like it hasn't occurred to anyone that they are worse because the level of competition is higher, that Aston Villa team would be like 10th Now lol. The competition for those big teams were atrocious so not exactly surprising they looked so good.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble but the best league in the world was just 4 teams plus 16 scrubs who were worse than anything in today's game to the extent that Stoke would have probably finished 5th back then lol.

Carry on being nostalgic, but your just living in a fantasy world that never was.

Yes, and there's more than 4 teams in the league because the "top" teams dropped.

The league itself may be "stronger" but taking Europe into consideration, teams are a lot worse nowadays.

And I've never claimed the league as "best in the world". That's an argument I stay far away from. The "best league in the world" is normally ranked down to what league you as an individual find most entertaining.

Are you really calling someone else nostalgic? Proud

Carry on thinking Newcastle is still a top team and Pardew was the man dragging you down.

by Curtinho Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:13 pm

Don't call me James wrote:
RealGunner wrote:Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Diego Costa in tunnel bust-up

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/21/liverpool-jordan-henderson-chelsea-diego-costa-tunnel-bust-up?

Henderson

https://vine.co/v/OIpidYvXwaI

Like an effing boss. This might be my favourite vine ever. Hazard coming to Costa's rescue. Proud

by Katy Perry Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:46 pm

El Cujo wrote:
Don't call me James wrote:
RealGunner wrote:Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Diego Costa in tunnel bust-up

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/21/liverpool-jordan-henderson-chelsea-diego-costa-tunnel-bust-up?

Henderson

https://vine.co/v/OIpidYvXwaI

Like an effing boss. This might be my favourite vine ever. Hazard coming to Costa's rescue.

by McAgger Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:17 pm

lmao Costa walks up to Hendo, sees that killer expression, shits his pants and steps back rofl

by Art Morte Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:11 pm

A cracking stat concerning the on-going Blackburn v Swansea FA cup game: On this date 20 years ago, Blackburn were first in the Premier League and Swansea were 14th in the second division.

The most interesting fourth round matches today:

Man City v Middlesbrough
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Leicester
Liverpool v Bolton

Middlesbrough are 2nd in the Championship, any chance they could cause an upset? hmm

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:20 pm

wishful Art hmm

by Helmer Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:31 pm

It would be good if all the top 4 rivals progress :coffee:

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:36 pm

3-1. Swans are as good as out. Flappyhandski Proud

by Helmer Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:38 pm

nice

will Bony's loss cost them in this season hmm

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:38 pm

Second Red. Siggurddson joins Bartley.

by Art Morte Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:01 pm

I think Sigurdsson's red means he will miss the next three Prem matches hmm

And losing Bony will obviously cost them, but they haven't got much to play for this season anyway now. Safe from relegation and would have been unlikely to reach Europa even with Bony.

by Lord Spencer Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:32 pm

Did Goallegacy remove the chat, or am I just having problems with my computer. I haven't seen it in a while now?

On the PL, bein apparently feel that showing a history match is more proper than showing the Chelsea game. I am not sure I disagree.

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:35 pm

Can I watch the Soton Palace game anywhere online? Can't find a stream Sad

by Helmer Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:39 pm

como estas!! Bueno La Liga, interesante Cordoba vs Madrid :coffee:

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:40 pm

stfu Heil

I am desperate to watch a game where Sanogoat has scored one and assisted Mourouane *bleep* Chamakh, away to Soton. :coffee:

by Sri Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:40 pm

ESPN FC ‏@ESPNFC 25s25 seconds ago
CRYSTAL CLEAR! Palace lead at Southampton for the first time, Marouane Chamakh with his second and they now lead 3-2 after 39 minutes.

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