Mexal Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 This is what I'm wondering really. Can they get away with it for two years in a row? I doubt it somehow. Yea, I doubt it too. I feel like the title is wide open this year. United has the players for the most part but can they gel quickly enough? City has the offense but is their defense strong enough to stay consistent? Can Chelsea avoid the injuries and continue to grind out wins? Is Arsenal deep enough at striker/DM and can they avoid their injury issues? All 4 squads are good enough to win with enough question marks to make it interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Mithrandir Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 How dare you exclude Liverpool?! Bentekers is gonna be top scorer & we're gonna win the league with a comfortable 7 point gap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Not if you can't even spell Bentekkers right, you're not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercenaryChef Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Here's the Benteke goal, for anyone who wants to see it. Brilliant. I have long been a fan of the boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 This is what I'm wondering really. Can they get away with it for two years in a row? I doubt it somehow. If they get knocked out in the round of 16 in CL again, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 How dare you exclude Liverpool?! Bentekers is gonna be top scorer & we're gonna win the league with a comfortable 7 point gap :) In all honesty, I think Liverpool can compete for the top 4 but I think they're just not as talented as the other clubs and likely a 5th place team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 This wasn't Walcott's best game but he has looked fairly dangerous in the lone striker role in other games. I wouldn't judge Giroud vs Walcott on a game against ChelseaWell I was talking about them in general. Giroud offers more to this team.I'm not against playing Walcott but him on his own I don't think is going to generate much in the way of goals.Giroud finds the net far more easily and as a very good presence in the air.IMO outside of City, all the top English clubs have a "problem" or "weakness" in the striker area.I'm sure Wenger is content, he always is. He'll play Giroud in general I think and Walcott when it suits him. Both of them have their own skillset but neither is a top top player.Chelsea IMO are going to find that Diego Costa has more limitations than they think, and while I think Falcao will be better than he was at United, I do not see any signs of him getting back his Atletico form.United, I very much doubt Rooney's ability to carry the team's forward line for a whole season, he has dry spells and injuries every year. Depay is new and is not going to be that sensational in year 1. And........ that's it really, for United. Maybe Hernandez will do something, but all in all this is not very convincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I didn't watch the game so I can't judge the performance but it seems Theo Walcott made five passes in the 65 minutes he played - which is as many as Gibbs did in his nine minute cameo. Yeah, this is why I often accuse him of being a coward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Brilliant for Wenger today. I assumed Mourinho's post-match interview was intended to be a mocking parody of Wenger's past interviews. If he said it without any trace of irony then it's even funnier than when he complained about CL opposition defending their lead. I hope Chelsea do fall away this year - such a dirty, negative team - but they still have by far the strongest mentality for grinding results. It's very possible though that Costa will be less productive and that will cost them. Of course City are in the same boat if Aguero is injured again. Liverpool don't look prepared for their opening game. Benteke, Coutinho and Firmino - presumably the core of our attack - and Can all looked short of fitness today after a shortened preseason. And in general our midfield is a concern. It's possible that Henderson, Milner and Can will be a great midfield but it seems to rely on energetic generalists doing better than specialists. For the past two decades football has moved from midfield generalists to specialists for a very good reason. Only Arsenal have done well with generalists and they're criticized every year for lacking a DM, and they pushed Cazorla into a specialist deep playmaker role for much of last season. Gerrard was kind of forced on BR and was a huge problem for midfield shape and balance. But now BR will live or die by his midfield. If it cannot shield the defense or offer attacking width to make space or score goals or create many chances then BR won't last long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 In defense of Walcott, his presence forces defenders to sit deeper, denying him the space he needs but creating space for Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez to play between the lines and for Ramsey, Wilshire and Ox to make runs through midfield. Walcott may be the most unintentionally selfless player: his presence makes it easier for his team while hard on himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 It's true, to an extent, but there are plenty of fast players and most of them do a better job of showing for the ball than he does when put in that situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex. Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Yea, I doubt it too. I feel like the title is wide open this year. United has the players for the most part but can they gel quickly enough? City has the offense but is their defense strong enough to stay consistent? Can Chelsea avoid the injuries and continue to grind out wins? Is Arsenal deep enough at striker/DM and can they avoid their injury issues? All 4 squads are good enough to win with enough question marks to make it interesting. That's my main issue with Arsenal. If they really really get pressed at DM by Silva/Fabregas twice this season I'm not sure you have the players for it. Whatever happens you'll be a lot closer this year than anytime recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas! Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I expect that West Ham will be a lot more interesting to watch this season. This is definitely not Big Sam football anymore. We've been playing the ball on the floor and moving it around thoughtfully. We'll probably be mid table by the end, but may get drawn into the relegation battle if new manager and so many new players don't assimilate quickly. If Sakho stays healthy, he's going to score lots of goals, especially with Payet feeding him. They've already looked good together in preseason, including a couple of times against Werder Bremen today (once for Sakho's goal). Hopefully Valencia's injury isn't going to keep him out half the season, because we've already got enough crocked forwards. Adrian and Kouyate need to build on their good seasons last year, or at least reproduce them. I'd feel better if we picked up another forward, even if on loan. We've gotten deeper in most other positions, though, and should be able to withstand the rigours of the long season. As long as we have a healthy striker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I didn't watch the game so I can't judge the performance but it seems Theo Walcott made five passes in the 65 minutes he played - Eh, we weren't at our fluent best in the second half - we didn't have much of the ball. He was decent enough in the first half. Arseblog gets it spot on here re Mourinho But look, any piece about Arsenal and Chelsea wouldn’t be complete without a little bit Wenger Mourinho niggle, and after the game we certainly got it. You can speculate yourself as to why the Portuguese waited to shake hands with all the Arsenal players. If you want to believe it was a ‘touch of class’ from a man who has never before exhibited that kind of behaviour towards Arsenal, go right ahead. I’m not buying it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Mithrandir Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Yeah I'm with Wenger on the whole handshake thing. Why should he shake hands with a man who has no respect for him? Mourinho takes his little games too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baxus Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 Vlaar is not on the list of Aston Villa players available for selection in Fantasy premier league, and his Wiki page says his contract with Villa has expired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I didn't watch the game so I can't judge the performance but it seems Theo Walcott made five passes in the 65 minutes he played - which is as many as Gibbs did in his nine minute cameo. Yeah, this is why I often accuse him of being a coward. It was a tough game for Walcott, not only because his style of play is to run behind the defense instead of showing to the ball but because Chelsea's midfield/defense is tough and the service from our midfield just wasn't there for the most part. I think he does need to learn when to make a run and when to peal off to the outside to receive the ball and create some space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 How many teams look well prepared for their opening games? Sometimes getting a fast start is a big advantage. I've already mentioned that Liverpool's three main forwards are just starting their pre-season, and the Lovren/Sakho debate continues (I think it should be Sakho before Lovren). We may need to start Ings, Lallana and Ibe against Stoke. City might be in a similar situation with Aguero back from the Copa and Dzeko and Jovetic leaving. Will Bony start for them this weekend? Spurs bought players early and did not have many/any at international tournaments so their team should be pretty well set except that they are playing two midweek games this week(!?). They haven't added cover at striker yet, but that won't affect their opening games. And they've only added one new starter (Alderweild) so they should have good continuity. Their biggest worry is an injury where they don't yet have coverage. The main question is whether opposing teams mark Kane out of the game. Arsenal and Chelsea both look ready, although Chelsea will hope that Costa's hamstring isn't buggered again. I know Oscar did not play in the Copa, did Willian miss it too? It certainly helps Chelsea's continuity. United should be ready after a good pre-season. Their biggest problems are if DDG suddenly disappears and deciding on the CB pairing. No injury worries and plenty of options at central mid so they don't have to rush in new signings if they're not ready. They need a back-up for Rooney but, again, won't affect their opening games. Southampton have been pretty well organized yet again. It just depends on whether their new signings can fit in quickly again. Mane, Tadic and Pelle will be even better prepared than last year. Swansea seem to prepare very well. Some player movements and they haven't yet really replaced Bony, but should have great continuity in the core of the team. West Ham are dark horses. New coach, a few new players, new playing style and they've already had some competitive games. They may have a head start on other teams, although unlucky to see Enner Valencia injured again. Crystal Palace fall in this category too -- can they sustain the momentum under Pardew? They've held onto key players like Bolasie and Gayle, while adding Cabaye. But still a thin squad that was punching above it's weight. WBA will be well drilled under Pulis, and I think Lambert and Berahino will combine well. Stoke have been playing nice football and have added more ball-players, plus Bojan is almost back for them. But are they still relying on Crouch for goals, or is this guy Joselu going to be the main striker? And they'll miss Nzonzi and Begovic. Villa could be a shit show. Lots of player turnover, especially Vlaar, Benteke, Weimann and Delph leaving, with replacements being signed relatively late. Sherwood "saved" them with very little impact. They lost 5 of his first 6 or something like that before Benteke's goals turned the tide. I think Sherwood's points per game was only a slight improvement on Lambert (I may be wrong). Definitely nothing like Pulis and Pardew for big rescues. Villa look like potential slow starters. Same for Sunderland, who have not strengthened much considering their struggles last year. They must be planning for Defoe to suddenly start scoring again. It's hard to guess at Newcastle. They will definitely be better than under Carver, but how much better? They've add a good midfielder and striker. Is their defense back to full health? Leicester look risky. They relied heavily on a couple of streaky runs of goals for most of their points total last season. And Ranieri is being questioned before a ball is even kicked. The promoted teams will be enthusiastic and full of running in their early games. Norwich have not changed much since they went down. Bournemouth are a nice ball-playing team that may be too open in early games. I don't know much about Watford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I asked a Watford season-ticket holder about their chances today and even he doesn't really seem to know much about them. I mean, he gave good talk about how they're gonna finish top 10 because all the attention's on the other two and they'll surprise teams, but he didn't actually say what with. I guess that happens when you somehow sneak promotion despite having five managers in a season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex. Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Would be surprised if Bony starts this weekend. He picked up an injury and has only been in training for a few days - less time than Aguero. Wouldn't be a shock to see Sterling start up top or for Iheanacho to get the nod. Sterling, Silva, Iheanacho is the lineup which has been getting a lot of time on the pitch in pre season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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