Football Focus

[maxxi]

red devil Wrote:

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> Parkdrive Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Does Manchester have a same city rivalry after

> all

> > only one of the two is actually in Manchester?

> > Just saying

>

> Manchester United

> Sir Matt Busby Way

> Old Trafford

> Manchester

> M16 0RA

>

> Trafford is a borough of Manchester, just as

> Islington is a borough of London. Just saying...

And Woolwich...that's a borough too :)

[Otta]

No it's not, it's part of Greenwich.

[Otta]

Not that that's the point, but having worked in the cursed place for years I feel the need to clarify.

[earlydoors]

This time last season Leicester were bottom of the table and about to commence their great run of wins that helped them avoid relegation.

I wonder what odds then of them being premier league champions in 2016 ?

If they were an athlete or cyclist with that kind of improvement they would likely be accused of being drugs cheats.

I'm sure they're not, as team sports don't work that way, but I wonder what elements have all come together st once in such a short period of time to achieve these kind of gains?

[????]

They were probably 2/1 or so to avoid the drop so times that by 5000 and There you have it!

[earlydoors]

Vincent Kompany looks like he could be out for the rest of the season. I think that may rule City out of title race if they weren't out already.

Arsenal still in it but a heavy defeat tonight could shatter their morale even further.

[red devil]

I've just revisited our early season predictions, unsurprisingly no one picked Leicester..or Spurs...or West Ham...

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1158228,page=175

[Jah Lush]

I revised my predictions back in January.

Jah Lush Wrote:

> End of season prediction

> Top four

>

> Arsenal

> Spurs

> Leicester

> Man City

>

> Relegated

>

> Villa

> Sunderland

> Norwich.

[earlydoors]

I think most football pundits are useless, with a few exceptions, but I can't blame any of them for not picking Leicester or Spurs as their tips for the title at the start of the season. Who could possibly have predicted that?

I don't think the slump of the usual title challengers could have been predicted either. Let's see if pundits will think twice before trotting out their usual lazy tips next season. I'm not so sure the other 'big' teams will be back next season. All may have new managers and could be in a state of flux for a season or two so an unlikely candidate for title may emerge again.

[red devil]

I said West Ham would struggle. Well, they will struggle to get into the top four with their upcoming fixtures.

Joking aside, it's hard to predict who will finish top 4 now, let alone back in August, but I hope West Ham do if it's at the expense of Arse or City...

[Jah Lush]

If this season is anything to go by you're probably right. This one has been particularly unpredictable. Unlike any other I can remember.

[Jah Lush]

Leicester aside, what I'm incredulous about this season is the (mostly) nouveau Arsenal fans and "celebrities" like Piers Moron and their sense of entitlement, complaining about Arsene Wenger, saying he should go. I find it unbelievable after all the stability and success he's brought them down the years. Just because they haven't won the Premiership for over a decade. Try being a Spurs fan or a Leicester fan, come to think of it.

Obviously, I'm not including our own Parkdrive or Lady Gooner in this assessment but I'd be interested to hear what they think about it.

[????]

red devil Wrote:

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> I said West Ham would struggle. Well, they will

> struggle to get into the top four with their

> upcoming fixtures.

> Joking aside, it's hard to predict who will finish

> top 4 now, let alone back in August, but I hope

> West Ham do if it's at the expense of Arse or

> City...

Don't worry I had Leicester going down!

I think (this season) we are as good as anyone to be honest, away wins at City, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal (and should have been Man U support that) - If we'd had Payet fit all season who knows where we'd been.... I think we have a chance of top 4, but I think it's a small one.

[earlydoors]

Piers Morgan has been on Wenger's back for a few years now. He's gone quiet in last couple because Arsenal have won the cup. Wenger's a class act and should be treated with more respect by these plonkers. In some ways the Leicester story strengthens his own stance on transfer policy and overspending on players. He has always been uncomfortable splashing too much cash if it didn't represent good value. And he is right to think that. It hasn't helped City or United this season. Leicester have built a potentially Premier league winning squad on a shoestring. The current wisdom seems to be that he should go if they don't win the league, but I think that would be folly. All the big clubs will likely have new managers so if anything Arsenal should stick with him and his Premier league experience.

[red devil]

earlydoors Wrote:

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> He has always been

> uncomfortable splashing too much cash if it didn't

> represent good value. And he is right to think

> that. It hasn't helped City or United this season.

It's helped them in previous seasons though. I don't think you can use this season and Leicester's success as any kind of benchmark, unless they sustain it over a longer period. To go from certs for relegation to champions elect in one calendar year is totally freakish. Leicester haven't really built a team to win the PL either, a lot of the squad were in the Championship...

[Jah Lush]

Ozil and Sanchez were signed for a combined cost ?77.5m. Not exactly chickens feed is it.

[earlydoors]

No but both represented reasonably good value when you compare to someone like Eric Lamela who cost ?30 million or even Di Maria at ?57 million. When Wenger did splash the cash he did it astutely.

I agree about Leicester's success being freakish, though I think they may have won the championship by a record total of points with essentially the same team.

Though perhaps not the template for success in EPL it resoundingly proves that it's not just about money. Forest did the same thing all those years ago to even greater success and in relative terms they were still paupers compared to Liverpool and Man Utd at the time.

Having said that I think they may have bought the first million pound player in Trevor Francis, but only after the success they achieved on a shoestring enabled them to do that.

[Jah Lush]

Actually, Lamela is finally coming good and he's still only 23 and learning his trade so plenty of scope for him to get better and at ?26.5 million he could still prove to be very good value for money.

Francis was indeed the first million pound player and what Clough did at Forest is still unmatchable. If I wasn't a Spurs fan I'd be cheering Leicester on to win the league.

[Seabag]

Wenger should get a Knighthood for the way he's managed the Arsenal finances over the years, he'll leave a huge legacy when he does eventually call it a day

Whereas Pliers Moron needs a kick in the slats (wherever his are)

[Jah Lush]

He'll be a tough act to follow no matter who eventually takes over from him when he finally does call it a day. All these idiots calling for him to go know nothing about football or management for that matter.

[Mick Mac]

I don't think it's a good idea to have a coach who is also on the board of a club. The manager should be accountable to the board, not part of it. It creates a grey area on accountability. It's not working, his rewards are too great, his recent achievements too small and he needs independent scrutiny by a competitive board of directors.

[Jah Lush]

Which begs the question did the 'wally with a brolly' sack himself?

[Mick Mac]

Well, ok, if you are saying McLaren was on the Newcastle board then fair point - but Wenger is in a powerful board position.

[red devil]

A journo on the radio this morning was saying that if Liverpool win the Europa League, then the 4th placed team won't enter the Champions League qualifying stage, is that correct?...

[Otta]

Think 5 teams can enter, but if Chelsea won the champs league and Liverpool won Europa, 4th place would drop out.

Why Pep Guardiola should beware English teams winning both European trophies

http://gu.com/p/4gped?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard