Football 2013-2014

[kaosmark2]

Im not surprised, the league table at the start of the season generally shows who have the best 14/15 players. After 38 games it generally shows who has the best 38. I don't see much difference between Chelsea and city in terms of squad strength, but the latters forward line up look more reliable to me.

[eFestivals]

And Arsenal were pretty damn sexy yesterday as well weren't they?

yep - there's probably not been many games in the history of football that have had 4 fantastic goals like that.

If Arsenal ever manage to have their full squad fit (which I doubt, it's not happened in ten+ years ) they'd be streets ahead of the other teams.

And it's worth noting that Arsenal were playing this well even before Ozil arrived. It seems that Wenger's words about the team just being a smidgen off being a top team was right.

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Meanwhile.... #MoyesIn.

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And it looks like Liverpool are definitely heading for a sub-top-4 finish at the moment. Their one possible salvation could be Cortinho returning to fitness.

Otherwise it's Chelsea, Arsenal (or just perhaps the other way around), City, and then Spurs.

Bye bye Moyes and Utd.

[The Nal]

yep - there's probably not been many games in the history of football that have had 4 fantastic goals like that.

If Arsenal ever manage to have their full squad fit (which I doubt, it's not happened in ten+ years ) they'd be streets ahead of the other teams.

And it's worth noting that Arsenal were playing this well even before Ozil arrived. It seems that Wenger's words about the team just being a smidgen off being a top team was right.

=====

Meanwhile.... #MoyesIn.

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And it looks like Liverpool are definitely heading for a sub-top-4 finish at the moment. Their one possible salvation could be Cortinho returning to fitness.

Otherwise it's Chelsea, Arsenal (or just perhaps the other way around), City, and then Spurs.

Bye bye Moyes and Utd.

Edited October 21, 2013 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

Dunno about any of that, cant say definitely anyway. Only 8 games in. Liverpool still have an easy run up to Christmas. One good win for Utd could change everything (hopefully!). One bad loss for Arsenal the same etc. Really early days still.

But Ozil really seems to have given Arsenal a new strength and confidence. I still think that fragility is there though and we'll see it at some point.

Also, no one does a good footie bitch session like the French!

Oh, Liverpool defo have an easy run till xmas. I said a while back that I can see them staying in the mix at the top till mid-December ... it's what happens after that which will define how their season will pan out.

After not really putting a 10-man Newc under pressure at the w/e tho I find it hard to see them staying up there - tho there's the possibility that Cortinho's return might give them a bit more ooomph.

I think the team spirit at Arsenal will carry them a long way (along with their skills, obviously) - they seem to have a spirit that you rarely see in the bigger teams. Having said that I have my doubts about them too, which is precisely why I can see Chelsea pipping them to the title.

And while Utd aren't out of it just yet, there's now a big points gap that would have had Utd fans in previous seasons saying that any team with such a big gap by this time are out of the running. When do Utd fans start applying their own thinking to their own team?

I reckon that the only reason they're not being written off in all directions by now is because no one can quite believe it.

Lots of the 'top' teams have had a dodgy start this year, but while the others seem to be getting their act together, Moyes looks and seems lost. It's infected the players, and that's their main advantage gone.

[The Nal]

Oh, Liverpool defo have an easy run till xmas. I said a while back that I can see them staying in the mix at the top till mid-December ... it's what happens after that which will define how their season will pan out.

After not really putting a 10-man Newc under pressure at the w/e tho I find it hard to see them staying up there - tho there's the possibility that Cortinho's return might give them a bit more ooomph.

I think the team spirit at Arsenal will carry them a long way (along with their skills, obviously) - they seem to have a spirit that you rarely see in the bigger teams. Having said that I have my doubts about them too, which is precisely why I can see Chelsea pipping them to the title.

And while Utd aren't out of it just yet, there's now a big points gap that would have had Utd fans in previous seasons saying that any team with such a big gap by this time are out of the running. When do Utd fans start applying their own thinking to their own team?

I reckon that the only reason they're not being written off in all directions by now is because no one can quite believe it.

Lots of the 'top' teams have had a dodgy start this year, but while the others seem to be getting their act together, Moyes looks and seems lost. It's infected the players, and that's their main advantage gone.

[TheGayTent]

The Chelsea v City game could be interesting in terms of the title

[The Nal]

The Chelsea v City game could be interesting in terms of the title

[TheGayTent]

Next Sunday

[eFestivals]

8 points isn't a whole lot. City pulled that back in a few games at the end of the season to win the league.

Yeah, but that took Utd being shit for them to do that.

As things look right now, while City (or Chelsea, or Arsenal) might drop points here and there, Utd are going to drop at least the same points along the way, and so not giving them the opportunity to catch up.

So for Utd to turn things around they'd have to go on a fantastic run of form, and I'm struggling to see them having the players to do that - they might well have the players to match the form of other teams, but I doubt they have to better them.

A better 2nd half and comfortable top 4 finish will do at this stage.

as I've said above, they need much more than just being better than they've been so far.

They might squeak top-4, but "comfortable"? I'm struggling to see it, as it would depend on other 'top' teams suddenly having Utd's early season form.

Arsenal have a swagger about them though don't they? I still feel a hammering by one of the bigger teams could derail them.

Getting hammered hasn't screwed them in previous seasons. They've got over it very easily; after Arsenal got thrashed 8-2 by Utd two years ago the word was that they were finished .... and yet they've gone on great runs, and at the end of the season too when the word used to be that Arsenal were shit at the end.

And, if they were going to crumble like that they surely would have done after getting beat by Villa on the first day.

Arsenal are Arsenal and they'll get beaten along the way, but they have their own kind of resilience (that could be compared to what Utd have had the last 20 years, tho a different type of resilience).

Utd's salvation lies with Spurs I reckon - can they be the same shit Spurs of recent seasons?

[eFestivals]

The Chelsea v City game could be interesting in terms of the title

Nah .... Moaniho's going to bore us all to death again this season and probably win the league. So he'll play for a draw and get at least that.

[TheGayTent]

Nah .... Moaniho's going to bore us all to death again this season and probably win the league. So he'll play for a draw and get at least that.

[pink_triangle]

Utd's salvation lies with Spurs I reckon - can they be the same shit Spurs of recent seasons?

[eFestivals]

Utd's salvation lies with Spurs I reckon - can they be the same shit Spurs of recent seasons?

actually, I could have included Liverpool in here along with Spurs.

While I rank Liverpool as the weakest of the "top 6" sides that are currently above Utd so don't think this is too likely, I'd absolutely love it if Liverpool were the "new" team to break into the top 4 at Utd's expense ... all those Utd fans choking on their words from the beginning of the season saying that l'pool were still too weak to make top 4 when they do at Utd's expense would be priceless.

[eFestivals]

But anyway, who says it'll be Spurs or Liverpool that deny Utd their human right ( ) of guaranteed Chumps footie?

Soton have got draws at both OT and Anfield.

And Everton are looking pretty good too, as long as Barry doesn't spend most of the season suspended for outrageous tackles.

[The Nal]

actually, I could have included Liverpool in here along with Spurs.

While I rank Liverpool as the weakest of the "top 6" sides that are currently above Utd so don't think this is too likely, I'd absolutely love it if Liverpool were the "new" team to break into the top 4 at Utd's expense ... all those Utd fans choking on their words from the beginning of the season saying that l'pool were still too weak to make top 4 when they do at Utd's expense would be priceless.

[zahidf]

After a few seasons like this, could Man Utd be the plucky underdog we are rooting for?

[Bobs]

The less people Mention Everton, the more we can quietly do our job. We have the exact same record as we did at this time last season (W 4 D3 L1), and we sat 4th, it's also were we went bad, so our next four games are crucial, we need to get 10pts, with 8 a minimum if we want to keep a European challenge afloat, we have Villa A, Spurs H, Palace A, Liverpool H, we have Arsenal and United back to back away shortly after so it'll be a tough time for us, and it'll be where we show our worth!

[TheGayTent]

Portugal v Sweden

Greece v Romania

Ukraine v France

Iceland v Croatia

Some good games there.

[kaosmark2]

yep - there's probably not been many games in the history of football that have had 4 fantastic goals like that.

If Arsenal ever manage to have their full squad fit (which I doubt, it's not happened in ten+ years ) they'd be streets ahead of the other teams.

And it's worth noting that Arsenal were playing this well even before Ozil arrived. It seems that Wenger's words about the team just being a smidgen off being a top team was right.

[kaosmark2]

Portugal v Sweden

Greece v Romania

Ukraine v France

Iceland v Croatia

Some good games there.

[eFestivals]

I think its possible but I still believe Liverpool's good start is down to a relatively easy fixture list thus far and the fact that they're one of the few top 4 contenders with a manager from last season. Same for Arsenal. Good stable starts for them.

Liverpool have defo had the easy fixtures, but there's reason to think that they might push on a bit from what they've been - Suarez slotting back into the side, plus the return of Cortinho (whenever that is due to happen?).

The same - but more so - for Arsenal.

I still fully expect Utd, Citeh and Chelski to come on much stronger later in the season.

Says one of the many Utd fans who said that Utd wouldn't turn to shit under Moyes.

With Chelsea and City there's very good reason to think that - because we know they have exceedingly good players who so far have been playing below themselves.

The situation at Utd is the opposite of that, in that their players have previously been playing above themselves.

It's hard to see how your take on things can be right, unless Utd has been a team chocked full of the some of the very best players ion the world for the last 20 years after all (which few things tend to suggest is the case despite the many titles).

[to be clear, that's not me saying they're all average, just that too many of them are]

Edited October 21, 2013 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Man U have beaten Leverkusen and Liverpool and got a draw away at Shakhtar, big results, yet that doesn't stop teams having a go.

The win against Liverpool wasn't a "big result". It was the win in the doesn't-matter match of the Paper Cup.

The meaningful match against Liverpool saw Utd lose.

[kaosmark2]

The win against Liverpool wasn't a "big result". It was the win in the doesn't-matter match of the Paper Cup.

The meaningful match against Liverpool saw Utd lose.

[eFestivals]

Nah, I don't buy that. Both sides put a first team out, and neither side ever wants to lose to the other. Had it been against Arsenal or Spurs I'd have agreed.

oh, I agree that neither side wants to lose but I don't believe there was the same determination for a win, at least on the Liverpool side of things.

Liverpool had already won the match that matters more, and on that basis were 'happy' to lose.

(I don't really mean 'happy', but of the two they'd have much rather have won the Prem match).

[Bobs]

oh, I agree that neither side wants to lose but I don't believe there was the same determination for a win, at least on the Liverpool side of things.

Liverpool had already won the match that matters more, and on that basis were 'happy' to lose.

(I don't really mean 'happy', but of the two they'd have much rather have won the Prem match).