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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 16, 2009 23:22:53 GMT
Well, what an interesting start to the new season! The Big Four all got out of the starting blocks, but the style in which they did it rather varied. Arsenal's 6-1 demolition of Everton is a clear statement of intent, but can they keep it up? Man Utd only managed a 1-0 defeat of Birmingham, while Chelsea didn't do a lot better with their 2-1 win. But once again Harry Redknapp proved his teams are always a stumbling block for the major players, with his Tottenham beating Liverpool 2-1. An interesting beginning indeed  |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 17, 2009 9:54:15 GMT
YEAH! GO GUNNERS!  Arsenal are in a very good position, technically. It was wise of Wenger to get rid of some players who weren't contributing much to the team, and in fact were hindering some fresh young talent from making first-team appearances. Good going with the sale of Adebayor and Kolo Toure!  MU are bound to be reeling a little with the loss of Christiano Ronaldo, but they'll soon get used to life without him (after all, they still won). They'll be used to it by the time they play another top 4 team. They have a lot of great players and some deadly strikers who are just dying to get more appearances. Liverpool made a mistake in selling Xabi Alonso, they needed him! With the inconsistent fitness of Gerard and Torres, Alonso was the one holding the team together. Hopefully for them, Gerard and Torres can get a little fitter (and tougher) so they can do more for the team. As for Chelsea, well... I guess we need a bit more time to see where they're headed, but at least they had a winning start. Of course, let's not forget this is just the beginning, we've got a long way to go! Hold on to your hats, it's gonna be a rough ride! |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 3:51:19 GMT
Nobody's posted here for awhile, so I'll try and fill in:
August 16: MU 1-0 Birmingham Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
MU barely scraped through that one, on that form, they're bound to lose their next game (this is what I thought right after it, not after I knew the outcome of their game against Burnley). I mean, only 1 goal, against Birmingham? No offense, but this should've been a 6-0 drubbing (or something).
As for Tottenham-Liverpool, this goes to show Tottenham's amazing form, and Liverpool is really feeling the loss of the man who was keeping their team together (Alonso).
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 3:54:51 GMT
August 18: Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea, Wigan 0-1 Wolverhampton
Good showing by Chelsea, beating Sunderland by two goals at the Stadium of Light! This shows that they're getting in gear, and starting to revv up that engine!
As for Wigan, poor showing against a newly-promoted side. At this rate, although it's probably too early to say this, they'll be relegated at the end of the season. Wolverhampton have proved that they can compete, and may stay in next year, who knows?
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 4:04:15 GMT
August 19:
Birmingham 1-0 Portsmouth: Not much of a surprise, they both are about the same level right now (with Birmingham slightly more in-form), but Birmingham had the advantage of playing in front of their home crowd.
Burnley 1-0 MU: This is not much of a surprise. While it may shock most people (e.g. THE CHAMPIONS? LOSING AGAINST THE NEW CHUMPS?!!), it's understandable as they were in poor form, judging by the result of their previous game against Birmingham. This means, however, that they're really gonna start working on their game, adapt to life without CR7, and try to bounce back.
Hull City 1-5 Tottenham: Tottenham continue their amazing form, with Jermaine Defoe scoring a hat-trick to grant them a four-goal away victory! Awesome showing, Defoe is really earning his salt! Tottenham just might finish in the top four, who knows? We'll see...
Liverpool 4-0 Stoke City: Liverpool are starting to adjust to the game without Alonso, and they're proving it with this drubbing! We'll see if they can keep it up!
Ah, this Premiership has a lot of exciting chances, at this rate, there are about 5 teams who seem to show serious contender-ship for the Cup!
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 4:14:58 GMT
August 22: Arsenal 4-1 Portsmouth: Arsenal continue their display of good form and striking power with this victory, and Portsmouth continue their bad run! Portsmouth isn't making a good impression at all this season, they'd better pick up their feet or end up relegated! Birmingham 0-0 Stoke City: A typical game by two lower-level sides, with an expected result. One of these teams (or both) may be relegated next season, who knows? At the present rate, it's a definite "maybe." Hull City 1-0 Bolton Wanderers: Not a very surprising result, considering the not-too-good form displayed by Bolton. Bolton need to improve dramatically on all fronts if they plan to contend for a higher spot in the Premiership, while at this pace, Hull may finish considerably better than they did last season. Manchester City 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Not so impressive from a team who just spent MILLIONS on a bunch of new transfers, but hey, at LEAST they won  ! Oh well, let's see if this bunch of ridiculously-highly-paid footballers can merge together into a good team that can beat top-flight teams! Sunderland 2-1 Blackburn Rovers: Blackburn in the recent years have finished mid-table while Sunderland finished end-of-the-line, but at this rate, it'll be the other way around in the end. Wigan 0-5 MU: Ah, about time! MU have come back, and they've done it in style! 5 goals while conceding none, and away on top of it! Godo showing by all their players, they've proven that they can win without CR7! Of course, it remains to be seen how they do against a rival team like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, or (now) Tottenham, but at this rate, things look pretty bright for them! |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 4:20:45 GMT
August 23:
West Ham 1-2 Tottenham: Well, pretty good showing by West Ham, considering the sizzling form Tottenham is in right now. Of course, it's almost certain in cases like this that the bigger team is gonna win (most were predicting a 2-5 goal difference in favor of Tottenham), but West Ham pulled off a pretty good effort. And of course, Tottenham have kept up their unbeaten run to have their best start in 40+ years!
Burnley 1-0 Everton: Good showing by Burnley, they're starting to show that it wasn't just luck that carried them to victory over MU! For a newly-promoted side, it's impressive that they've taken their 2nd top-5 scalp from the previous season! They may finish higher lever this year, who knows?
Fullham 0-2 Chelsea: Chelsea continue to prove they mean business, and that they are winners! We'll see how far they get, but if they've proven one thing, it's that they can win the Premiership this season. As for Fullham, they'll probably finish mid-table.
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 29, 2009 4:25:11 GMT
August 24: Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa: Oh well, I guess Liverpool haven't really adapted to life without Alonso after all. A 2-goal difference drubbing, AT HOME, can only look grim for the team who have won the most Premiership Trophies. At this form, they won't even finish in the top 4, in fact, their spot may be taken by Tottenham. As for Villa, it was a great performance! We'll see how far they get, but I'm guessing they'll be somewhere around the top 7 (like last year). It remains to be seen...
Looking forward to today's matches, especially when the Gunners invade Old Trafford!
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 29, 2009 11:57:34 GMT
Liverpool's problem is the same as it's been for too many years, now: over-reliance on a handful of top players instead of having a really good team. If Steven Gerrard has a bad day, Liverpool sink without trace. They lack the strength in depth of the other top teams, which is why they are so mercurial.
Tottenham are proof of the age-old adage that a good manager is as good as an extra player. Harry Redknapp is one of the best in the world and one of the most under-rated. He always punches well above his weight with whatever team he runs, but he's never had a really good team to punch with before now. Tottenham are still technically second string, of course, but Harry may make all the difference, there...
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 30, 2009 3:42:46 GMT
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 31, 2009 4:47:59 GMT
The MU Arsenal game (2-1) shows that ANY team can self-destruct, especially the big ones... Arsenal were winning 1-0 in the second half (despite not having a penalty awarded in the first half), when Manuel Alumina did an absolutely ridiculous grab for Rooney's feet! The resulting penalty was well-converted, leveling the scores. Then the unthinkable: on an MU freekick, Abou Diaby did a beautiful header... Straight into his own goal! Hats off to Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie for their efforts, and congrats to MU for beating a top-flight PL team without CR7. |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 5, 2009 18:52:10 GMT
Last games:
August 30, 2009:
Aston Villa 2-0 Fulham: Aston Villa can still compete, and they aren't going to just roll over and give up! Who knows, with some luck they could finish very high, even higher than last season!
Everton 2-1 Wigan Athletic: Everton can still go on. As for Wigan, they'd better pick up their form REAL soon, or they'll end up in serious relegation trouble.
Portsmouth 0-1 Manchester City: And Manchester City have kept up their perfect start with this AWAY victory! Who knows, maybe, just MAYBE a bunch of players randomly hoovered-up by some Saudi Arabian Prince can win some Silverware! It remains to be seen if they can defeat a top-flight team, we'll find THAT one out on the 12th...
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 17, 2009 5:43:12 GMT
September 12th, 2009 Blackburn 3-1 Wolverhampton: About time Blackburn pick up their feet! Plenty of future opportunities for Wolverhampton though, we'll see... Liverpool 4-0 Burnley: Burnley continue their poor form, and Liverpool are making an impression with a 4-star victory! Who knows, maybe they're bouncing back from the loss of Alonso? It remains to be seen when they next play a top-flight team... Manchester City 4-0 Arsenal: Well, apparently a bunch of players hoovered-up with high salaries CAN win against major teams! Granted, Arsenal weren't at their best (honestly, they only seem to be at their best against lower-level teams these days), but still, this means something! Manchester City have sent a message by maintaining their perfect run, and the message is: THEY MEAN TO WIN. We'll see what happens on the 20th, when they invade Old Trafford... Portsmouth 2-3 Bolton: Bolton were lucky to run away with this one, the way the teams are, they both are probably gonna end up on the lower end of the table, with Portsmouth possibly getting relegated... Stoke 1-2 Chelsea: And Chelsea continue their perfect run! Hats off to a Stoke getting a goal past the defense/keeper of Chelsea, let's see how well they do. As for Chelsea: can they maintain their perfect run? We'll see, their next EPL fixture is on the 20th, at home against Tottenham... Sunderland 4-1 Hull: Alright! Good effort by Sunderland, they've got fight in them! As for Hull, they'd better pick up their recent poor form, or they could be in some serious trouble... Wigan 1-0 West Ham: Well, at least Wigan salvaged their game at home, we'll se what happens to these teams later on. They might be able to go somewhere in the league table, but I honestly don't think either of them will finish very high up. Tottenham 1-3 Manchester United: And MU continue their great run by hammering the Spurs while they were hot! Hat's off to MU, they have proven to the World that they don't really need CR7! Valiant showing by Tottenham, they were against a team that is still arguably one of the best (if not THE best) teams in the World! |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 17, 2009 5:46:44 GMT
September 13th, 2009 Birmingham 0-1 Aston Villa: Pretty good showing by Villa, they have the potential for a fairly decent finish. As for Birmingham, they'd better start seriously revamping their strategies or flirt with relegation... Fullham 2-1 Everton: 2 mid-upper level teams met today, with the home team winning by 1 point. Not so much of a surprise... Fingers crossed for the 20th!  |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 30, 2009 4:50:38 GMT
September 19th, 2009:
Burnley 3-1 Sunderland: Another decent performance by Burnley, and yet another thrashing of Sunderland.
Arsenal 4-0 Wigan: Good showing by the Gunners, they have continued to dominate their mid-lower table challengers at home. Can they do the same when playing away?
Aston Villa 2-0 Portsmouth: Portsmouth continue their nightmare-ish start to the season! With 6 defeats in a row, the team's morale is bound to be in the doldrums. Can they break this streak next game?
Bolton 1-1 Stoke: Mediocre game, with an expected mediocre result.
Hull 0-1 Birmingham: Pretty good showing by Birmingham, and a nasty slip from Hull. We'll see how they both do next game...
West Ham 2-3 Liverpool: And Liverpool have managed an away win! Albeit against a mid-table team, they haven't really adapted to life without Alonso yet... We'll see how long it takes, probably will happen as soon as Torres and Gerrard manage to stay fit season-round.
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 30, 2009 5:02:57 GMT
September 20th, 2009:
Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City: An AMAZING derby, possibly the greatest Manchester Derby of all time (well, at least in SAF's time)! What a dramatic game, which most certainly would've ended in a spectacular draw had the added time been a little shorter... I've gotta admit, 7 minutes added was a tad high considering the fact that there weren't too many injuries/ridiculous goal celebrations... But whatever the case, that was a great goal by Michael Owen (not to mention the fine goals from his team-mates and of course the magnificent goals by his city-rivals), if he can roll into an impressive enough form, we might see him on the England Squad soon!
Wolverhampton 2-1 Fulham: Decent game by the new arrivals to the PL, not-so-decent game from Fulham. At this pace, Fulham are in for a rough ride!
Everton 3-0 Blackburn: Fairly impressive game by Everton, they are doing pretty well this season! As for Blackburn, they really need to pick up the pace, or they'll end miserably...
Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham: Great showing by Chelsea! They continue their winning streak, 6 games in-a-row! The polar opposite of Portsmouth this season so far, it'd be interesting to see who'll keep up their "streak" longer... As for Tottenham, they just need to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and continue with a good morale if they want to keep their Champions League slot.
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 30, 2009 5:24:14 GMT
September 26th, 2009:
Portsmouth 0-1 Everton: Yet another inglorious loss by Portsmouth, at the hands of a team who weren't even doing their best. They have continued their miserable start to the season, now the tally is 7 losses in-a-row! Let's hope they can break it soon, it's never nice to see a team go this long without winning, or even drawing...
Birmingham 1-2 Bolton: And this victory by Bolton helps them to float above the defeated team on goal difference. We'll see where they go in the next few games, but I'm guessing they'll stay mid-table.
Blackburn 2-1 Aston Villa: About time! Blackburn have picked themselves up a little, off of the tripped figure of Aston Villa! ;D Does this mean that Blackburn have managed to turn things around? And will Aston Villa sink into a hole? Time will tell...
Liverpool 6-1 Hull: And Liverpool produce a demolition of the team second-from-the-bottom! The question is: can they keep up this form, especially when they meet their upper-table rivals? We'll find out later, but whatever the case, it was a good performance by Liverpool, and another poor showing by Hull., who at this pace are facing relegation in the eye over a long distance.
Stoke 0-2 Manchester United: Another decent showing by MU, who are proving with each passing game that they have now truly adapted to life without CR7. They now have a decent chance of winning the PL, especially given the fact that Chelsea can't make any transfers for the rest of this season (and the next one), Liverpool haven't fully adapted to their loss of Alonso yet, and Arsenal are in their "usual" (mercurial) form.
Tottenham 5-0 Burnley: Magnificent display of power by Tottenham! They are proving that they deserve a chance to play in the Champion's League, and are clawing up their opposition in most of their games! Harry Redknapp deserves a lot of credit for their rise, if not almost all of it! Of course, some credit must go to the players. As for Burnley, they were simply out-shined by a determined higher-level team. Hopefully for them, they can pick up their feet and keep fighting!
Wigan 3-1 Chelsea: And Chelsea's winning streak grinds to a halt in a game where they were restricted by Petr Cech's red-card (and the subsequent penalty kick), and an audacious showing by Wigan! Wigan just might be picking up their form, and finish well this season. As for Chelsea, now they are on near-even terms with MU (MU higher by goal difference), we'll see if the inability to make transfers has affected them...
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal: Very close game, good showing by Fulham. Arsenal scraped their way out of this one, possibly due to their upcoming Champion's League games. We'll see if they can pick-up, and challenge for the top-four spot that has been theirs for the last many years...
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 30, 2009 5:26:29 GMT
September 27th, 2009:
Sunderland 5-2 Wolverhampton: Impressive game by Sunderland, at the Stadium of Light. With this kind of showing, they will probably finish mid-table. As for Wolverhampton, if they don't start winning soon, they'll find themselves jostling with the relegation slots...
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Post by twoheadedragon on Sept 30, 2009 5:28:29 GMT
September 28th, 2009:
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham: Another decent game by Manchester City, who are proving that a team thrown together by a RICH Saudi Prince can indeed do well in the PL! And West Ham had better start winning soon, or they will face the very real possibility of relegation...
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 30, 2009 6:00:11 GMT
Typical West Ham, really. Never happy without the threat of relegation... ;D
From THD: (oops, wrong button! ;D )
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! Oh well, let's see if this bunch of ridiculously-highly-paid footballers can merge together into a good team that can beat top-flight teams!