Epl 2009/2010

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

"Rollickings" at half time appear to work sometimes. Apparently Wenger gave the Arsenal team a right going over, told them they weren't fit to wear the Arsenal short and they turned over a 1-0 deficit.

Chelsea drawing at home and Man U and Liverpool losing at home. Good to see the league becoming a bit more competitive and of course Doyle scoring for Wolves. Robbie looked off the pace again Post Paris syndrome still.

robbie is a moodie little so and so at the best of times and remember he always plays better in the second half of the season the goals always flow

Surprised at Mick Mc's decision to rest almost the whole team against Man U. I know he has often said their fate will not depend on results against Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal but against the other team but I think he was wrong for the following reasons:

(a) Sends the wrong signals to the players and fans i.e. we have no hope of competing with the top teams. We are way to inferior that there is no point in even showing up.

(b) I am sure their top players would have liked to play Man U at Old Trafford.

(c) It lets down the fans who travelled to Old T.

(d) Don't agree with this resting business. The likes of Houllier and other continental managers brought this in to the game in England. Previously, when English teams, in particular Liverpool, dominated Europe, there was no resting of players. The same team usually played week in, week out, and it seemed to have no adverse affect.

(e) Man U were not playing well and lost their last game at home. Wolves had won their last game. A "result" was not beyond the bounds of possibility.

Sorry Mick, I think it was the wrong decision whether they beat Burnley next game or not.

Rumours that Hughes is going to be sacked in the next hour or so.

Another great day in the history of Liverpool and Man United........there as bad as each other now!

If people think that the likes of Anderson, Nani, Berbatov, Foster and Valencia are the future for Man United then they are living in a dream world.

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Rumours that Hughes is going to be sacked in the next hour or so.

Supposedly Mancini or Hiddink taking over

Originally Posted by rambler14

Another great day in the history of Liverpool and Man United........there as bad as each other now!

If people think that the likes of Anderson, Nani, Berbatov, Foster and Valencia are the future for Man United then they are living in a dream world.

Man Utd were missing their first choice gk, centre backs and right back. To make matters worse their back up defenders were also injured.

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Man Utd were missing their first choice gk, centre backs and right back. To make matters worse their back up defenders were also injured.

fair point .. but performance today by utd was brutal even with missing players still expect them to perform ... as for playing 3 at the back 2 midfielders and a rookie right back at left back surely you would keep it tight and play 4 at back and a deep lying midfielder to try and protect weak defence

Absolutely. With the players available a draw was the best result that could be hoped for. At the same time Fulham were excellent, best performance I've seen (albeit limited) against Man Utd this season.

Man U have had these injuries for a few weeks now but only since last Saturday have they been used as a reason/excuse. They didn't stop them from creating chances and taking them. Credit to Fulham they deserved their win as much as Pompey did against Liverpool.

Originally Posted by Rafa B

Man U have had these injuries for a few weeks now but only since last Saturday have they been used as a reason/excuse. They didn't stop them from creating chances and taking them. Credit to Fulham they deserved their win as much as Pompey did against Liverpool.

Fulham were great value for their win, especially on the back of such an important result on the road in the Europa League. United were hardly going to use the injuries as an excuse in matches that they won Rafa in fairness, of course it was going to come to the fore when results started going the other way. Liverpool fans point to Gerrard/Torres being injured when results aren't going their way (quite rightly at times), so I wouldn't get too put out by United fans suggesting that conceding 3 goals to Fulham may have had something to do with 8 defenders being missing.

Originally Posted by old git

fair point .. but performance today by utd was brutal even with missing players still expect them to perform ... as for playing 3 at the back 2 midfielders and a rookie right back at left back surely you would keep it tight and play 4 at back and a deep lying midfielder to try and protect weak defence

Fair enough point there have to say. Nothing to stop them creating chances and taking them. Fulham a tough place to go these days though injuries or no injuries.

Originally Posted by old git

fair point .. but performance today by utd was brutal even with missing players still expect them to perform ... as for playing 3 at the back 2 midfielders and a rookie right back at left back surely you would keep it tight and play 4 at back and a deep lying midfielder to try and protect weak defence

Fergie's formation was dodgy alright but what do I know?!

Fulham away is a tough place to go to with a full strength team as Man Utd found to their cost last season but your job is made near impossible when you resort to playing Carrick and Fletcher in a 3 man defence.

Chelsea are vulnerable and Man Utd will run them close as soon as injuries to the defence clear up. Chelsea without Drogba are not the same force and they'll miss him greatly next month. Throw in the fact that Anelka is injured now as well........

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Fergie's formation was dodgy alright but what do I know?!

Fulham away is a tough place to go to with a full strength team as Man Utd found to their cost last season but your job is made near impossible when you resort to playing Carrick and Fletcher in a 3 man defence.

Chelsea are vulnerable and Man Utd will run them close as soon as injuries to the defence clear up. Chelsea without Drogba are not the same force and they'll miss him greatly next month. Throw in the fact that Anelka is injured now as well........

,di santo will be back it will be his chance to cement a place in the team.. same goes for sturridge,kakuta,borini and possibly even clifford will get a look in

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

,di santo will be back it will be his chance to cement a place in the team.. same goes for sturridge,kakuta,borini and possibly even clifford will get a look in

On paper they couldn't have asked for better fixtures during the African Cup of Nations.

As usual relegation struggle more interesting than title challenge as far more teams involved:

12 Stoke........19 -08 21
13 Blackburn...20 -15 21
14 Burnley......20 -18 20
15 Wigan........18 -18 19
16 Wolves.......20 -19 19
17 West Ham...20 -09 18
18 Bolton........17 -10 17
19 Hull............19 -22 17
20 Portsmouth.19 -11 14

Burnley doing a Hull. Great start but now slipping in to the dogfight. Take any 3 from 9. Looks like Portsmouth, Hull and Wolves or Burnley but a couple of back to back wins for any team changes everything.

which of these teams will be most affected by the African Cup of Nations?

Pompey and Chelsea will suffer most in my opinion.

Things appearing worse at Portsmouth now that they have a winding up order:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/301220...ing-order.html

Their paying John Utaka £80,000 a week they deserve everything their getting.

Megson sacked by Bolton. Couldn't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!