[Archived] Other Premier League Happenings

[speeeeeeedie]

Villa 1-0 against Hull. If this stands, the bottom 8 all lost, 1 less game for the teams below us to get more points. A win on Saturday and we can pop the champers.

[DE.]

Hull are a very, very poor side. Unrecognisable from the team who started the campaign so well. If they stay up this year they'll have some big decisions to make - who to sell, who to bring in, and do they keep Phil Brown?

The bottom 7 of this league are all awful, with us and Portsmouth marginally better than the other five.

[thenodrog]

Villa need another goal or they could get napped at the death!

[RibbleValleyRover]

Hull seem to have been in a major decline ever since that time when Phil Brown did his half time team talk on the pitch in front of the fans. Perhaps the manager lost the respect of his players with that incident.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Blatant pandering to the fans as well admonishing the players so publicly.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I'm sure you've said that before RVR.

I think the team talk on the pitch was a symptom of Hulls decline, not a cause. They were losing 4-0 at the time, which would indicate they were not playing terribly well.

[roversmum]

Wasn't very impressed with Villa either. Don't know what O'Neill said to them at half time, but they were scared stiff of doing much at all. Very lucky to win, and we need them to do the business against Middlesbrough and Newcastle yet

[Ricky]

Think that was their first win in 9 or 10 Mum, probably why they looked a bit nervy.

[Stonesrick]

I can't think of a Premier League season where not a single club in the bottom 6 puts in a good run at the death. In past years it's been WBA, Portsmouth and Fulham.

It's as though we all want to play in the Championship next season.

[Billy Castell]

I think Boro might just scrape through if they beat the barcodes. Hull and Sunderland don't want to pull away.

[gumboots]

There are enough good footballers in the world that with millions to spend (even if it isn't anywhere near the amount the top sides have) it should be possible to put out a very good side. Unfortunately there aren't more managers like Wenger.

And there aren't many top clubs like Arsenal who'd allow their manager to go so many years without winning anything and still keep his job. Most owners demand success at some point and so do most fans. Arsenal fans seem to have forgotten that the point of the game is ultimately to win and seem content for it always to be a team that's developing. Well, developing what?

[CrazyIvan]

I'm amazed at how poor some of the Premier League teams are (us included with caveats that most of our decent players are long-term injured). Taking a game played by each side from the bottom 8 as a snapshot and comparing it to the usual quality of the Premier League, there isn't one team that I would expect to actually stay up given a 'regular' Premier League season if you know what I mean. This season has been poor, taking a look at the contenders for the golden boot and it shows that no-one is near 20 goals yet. I wonder if the Premier League bubble is about to burst.

[philipl]

Man U - Ribery in, Ronaldo out

A bit of interest paid....

[Hughesy]

I dont believe that United would ever pay £60m for 1 player. Also didnt Ronaldo say at the weekend that his Madrid dream was dead?

As for the prem this year. I think its difficult to say its poorer, maybe stronger? Hence why more or less half the league has been involved in the relegation battle and also why 3 teams (only mathematically) could still win the league at this late point.

[T4E]

With the return of Florentino Perez imminent it would not be surprising to see Madrid splurge in a big way this Summer, and Ronaldo is the obvious target.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Would be great to see them lose Ronaldo. Does that also mean they would have to pass on their self proclaimed "biggest club in the world" tag to Real Madrid?

Arsenal fans obviously have patience. I would be pleased to see BRFC competing at the top of the table (97-98 for me was a great season despite the collapse towards the end) on a regular basis. It dosen't mean I would call for the manager to be sacked if he didn't win something year in, year out.

[tcj_jones]

I'm just trying to work out whether United, with the size of their current squad, could bring in Ribery anyway without selling Ronaldo? I guess that would leave them with five wide players in Ronaldo, Ribery, Nani, Park and Giggs, but maybe Fergy has something in mind for incorporating him into the starting XI now that Tevez looks to be on his way?

Ronado and Ribery on the flanks would be devastatingly good.

EDIT: also, didn't Ronaldo come out this week and ay that his 'Real dream' was now over? Seems strange timing...

[DE.]

Newcastle appear to be rapidly imploding, what a mess that club is.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport...icle2411342.ece

[Guest Vinjay606]

Does Shearer's list of rules include don't lie? Would probably be hypocritical coming from him though.

Some of the rules though seem perfectly fair to me.

[Hughesy]

The rules Shearer has set down, have been taken from the method Gaurdiola (sp?) from Barca takes. He is very strict also, difference is, he has class players..

[DE.]

I agree in theory with what Shearer is trying to do but he's implimenting extremely strict rules at the wrong time. If it was the beginning of the season and he was in it for the long haul then fair enough, but he's supposed to be leaving at the end of the season anyway and he's only been there for 5 games so far. He seems to have gone a little too far without having enough respect from the players to enforce those kind of rules. He needed to be strict, but probably not to that degree.

[JC4LAB]

Not the time for Shearer to be doing this time of type of thing..and why on earth talk to the press now...Its a bit Ince like..One win away from catching Hull and Shearer can be become a hero...

[Guest Vinjay606]

Pathetic defensive error from Arsenal. They started really well so totally against the run of play.

Park with the Man United goal.

[DE.]

Was an unfortunate slip... can't see Arsenal getting back into it now tbh.

Wow, just wow.

Arsenal are finished already.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Bloody hell. Rubbish goalkeeping.