[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[den]

The cup final just emphasised the gulf between the haves, and the have nots. Substitute villa for any other of the clubs outside the top 6 ( I.e. The other 86 clubs including us) and the result would have been the same. UEFA think that's good, while probably 99% of fans don't.

[Gav]

Interesting to see Scott Dann get player of the year at palace

Majority on here thought he was useless, then they realised he'd been carrying Hanley for most of the season.

Our best defender by a country mile, pity he left.

[USABlue]

Not the best match for the ref either. Arsenal best team by a mile cis they have the best players of course, but that refs favoured arsenal from the off.

Agree about the ref almost blatant favoritism. Villa looked decidedly off the pace today. Sherwood looked furious, he's going to fail. New manager bounce gone they'll struggle next season.

[LewisF]

Agree about the ref almost blatant favoritism. Villa looked decidedly off the pace today. Sherwood looked furious, he's going to fail. New manager bounce gone they'll struggle next season.

Time for him to come here.

[joey_big_nose]

Time for him to come here.

He's not going to do that. Don't kid yourself.

Only way he is going to drop down to Championship is if he has a nightmare in the premiership and gets sacked.

Also, for me, I have my doubts about him. Tactically he was utterly utterly abysmal yesterday. Worst cup final performance for many a year. Played right into Arsenals hands with an open style of play and totally failed to make the most of Villas attacking assets.

No shame in losing - Arsenal have a great team and played well - but the manner of the defeat is worrying for villa fans.

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

Dann was awful for us in the Prem but then practically everyone said he was a lot better in the Championship and that Hanley was the weaker link. That's how I remember it anyway.

Villa were shocking yesterday. They've got no central midfielder who's properly creative, just Westwood who is nice and tidy. They just look short of ideas when in possession and have done since they sold Milner about 5 years now. Apart from him, counter-attacking has been the only thing they've been good at recently.

Arsenal are obviously a few players short of challenging for the league. Would like to see them bring in some more quality this summer to make it more interesting next year but you never know with them.

[thenodrog]

To be honest they have a much better side than Hull or Wigan have had in recent years yet put in an abject performance.

Arsenal worthy winners though. Great display. Have all the components to challenge for the league except for a Matic style destroyer in midfield. I continue to be bemused by Wenger refusing to sign someone of that ilk. Never replaced Gilberto Silva and have suffered for it over the last 10 years or so.

Fabulous attacking players and a solid defence. Just needs that last piece.

Never replaced Vierra for sure. What a midfield powerhouse he was.

Can't feckin stand Arsenal, southern ponces. (edit: only since keaner took over - used to like them in the Joe Baker then Charlie G days)

I can only think of a couple of southern ponces, all the rest are foreign 'ponces'.

The cup final just emphasised the gulf between the haves, and the have nots. Substitute villa for any other of the clubs outside the top 6 ( I.e. The other 86 clubs including us) and the result would have been the same. UEFA think that's good, while probably 99% of fans don't.

Good point although Wigan did rather disprove that.

[Rover_Shaun]

Majority on here thought he was useless, then they realised he'd been carrying Hanley for most of the season.

Our best defender by a country mile, pity he left.

He must of learnt a lot since leaving because when he was here he was weak. 2ft smaller when he jumped, easily brushed off the ball and 2nd to most decent crosses.

[thenodrog]

Every centre half that we have had in the past 6 years has had the handicap of having a weak full back playing next to him, with the possible exception of Spurr whose weakness is in going forward .

[Gav]

He must of learnt a lot since leaving because when he was here he was weak. 2ft smaller when he jumped, easily brushed off the ball and 2nd to most decent crosses.

As I said yesterday, he was covering for Hanleys terrible positional sense, a new keeper every other week and full backs that struggled to defend. He admitted himself his first season was a write off as he'd been recovering from serious injury, after that he showed real quality.

He's on the brink of an England call up and Palaces player of the year, I need say no more.

[Rover_Shaun]

Yes a lot more. What was his excuse at Brum? England are no longer a barrometer. That deadlegs like Dann are considered shows we are now a 3rd rate nation

[DE.]

I just don't think Dann had any motivation whilst he was here. He spent most of his energy going around yelling at the younger players and being a bully. It didn't help.

[Amo]

It's no wonder we're screwed as a national team when players like Fabian Delph are the future.

[joey_big_nose]

I always thought Dann was okay, nothing special but not as bad as some said. A bit of a scapegoat. That said would never have thought he would do as well as he has.

Good luck to him. One of the few who have left rovers and moved their careers forward.

[Pedro]

I always thought Dann was okay, nothing special but not as bad as some said. A bit of a scapegoat. That said would never have thought he would do as well as he has.

Good luck to him. One of the few who have left rovers and moved their careers forward.

I thought that until we were relegated he was awful. A mistake waiting to happen. Hanley learnt a hell of a lot off him.

[rickard]

Don't know if it's been mentioned here but...

http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/update-club-statement-tom-hopper-james-pearson-and-adam-smith-2476576.aspx

Footballers never learn, do they?

[onlyonejackwalker]

As I said yesterday, he was covering for Hanleys terrible positional sense, a new keeper every other week and full backs that struggled to defend. He admitted himself his first season was a write off as he'd been recovering from serious injury, after that he showed real quality.

He's on the brink of an England call up and Palaces player of the year, I need say no more.

We haven't been able to keep clean sheets for donkeys. Even when Scott Dann was here. Too soft in the tackle for my liking and for someone supposedly cultured and assured his passing was very poor as well.

I thought that until we were relegated he was awful. A mistake waiting to happen. Hanley learnt a hell of a lot off him.

Most think that way. Its all about opinions though!

Don't know if it's been mentioned here but...

http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/update-club-statement-tom-hopper-james-pearson-and-adam-smith-2476576.aspx

Footballers never learn, do they?

There are way too many examples of footballers causing chaos in their personal lives. Young people with way too much cash and massive egos, think they are above the law. Unfortunately, as role models earning massive money in the public eye, part of the package is decent behaviour to reflect positively on the brand represented.

Was reading last week that Danny Simpson (ex-Rovers) was caught by the police throttling his girlfriend when they arrived at his home.

In other news, anyone seen the Rangers player kicking and punching the Motherwell lad after being pushed? Im not condoning the aggressive push in the back, but the response was a bit over the top and I get the general impression that Rangers did not like losing one iota.

[Robin]

Dann was awful for us in the Prem but then practically everyone said he was a lot better in the Championship and that Hanley was the weaker link. That's how I remember it anyway.

Spot on about Dann. He was quite awful for us except his last season when he started to show some stability. With a better management it could have been a different story with us.

[yoda]

Spot on about Dann. He was quite awful for us except his last season when he started to show some stability. With a better management it could have been a different story with us.

I thought our management had been credited with giving us stabilty

[DE.]

Don't know if it's been mentioned here but...

http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/update-club-statement-tom-hopper-james-pearson-and-adam-smith-2476576.aspx

Footballers never learn, do they?

Even worse, the club's owners are from Thailand and the manager's son is involved. Whoops.

[joey_big_nose]

Even worse, the club's owners are from Thailand and the manager's son is involved. Whoops.

And the sponsors are Thai. And Thailand is already highly attuned to, and furious at, the abuse and disrespect of its people by a section of western tourists.

It is hard to imagine a worse PR nightmare for the club, player, board and manager.

[chaddyrovers]

Dick Advocaat has been appointed the Sunderland manager

[Audax]

Good news for Sunderland, Advocaat has a solid history while not exactly managing the most high profile clubs or countries all the time though PSV and Borussia are certainly up there. The Serbia job was a bit of a disaster but I think all of those incidences involving fans is what I'd look at. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Advocaat

[BRFC1995]

..

[chaddyrovers]

Bilic has been appointed as West Ham manager on a 3 years deal.

Also John Carver has been sacked at Newcastle(along with first team coach Steve Stone). With Steve McClaren set to appoint as head coach tomorrow according to some reports I've read