09/10 Premier League thread

[14MenDeep]

i cant believe it!!!!!!!!! carlos cuellar gets sent of for a challenge that never made contact with the player. so that is supposedly the equivalent of or classed as the same as everton's number 7's foul (russian player/goalscorer) who went in two-footed quite aggressively, making contact and could end a player's season/career!!!!!!!!

[Bobby Sands]

^^i know. its ridiulous. There was nothing wrong with Cuellar's tackle. He shouldnt have been booked for either incident. There was a similar incident in the Arsenal game where one of the arsenal players tackled Corluka and clearly won the ball. The referee gave a free and a booking. In the Ireland game against Montenegro, Rowlands put in a great hard tackle on one of the montenegro players. It was a hard tackle but he clearly won the ball. The ref gave a free. There have been loads of incidents like this recently.

It seems like they want to take tackling out of football. Maybe they'll ban it altogether. Its great to see a defender going in hard with a tackle as long as its fair.

[2Pax]

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

So if Man Utd couldnt beat them with a better team last season, i doubt they would beat them right now with 5 or 6 of their first team out including their best player missing. Your squad must not be all that either considering we beat you last week and our supposedly average midfield bossed yours. oh wait i forgot the greatest midfielder in the world was missing-Darren Fletcher . And his absence was also the reason your midfield got absolutely raped in the Champions League final by Xavi and co last May. That has actually been suggested by certain pundits and Man Utd fans.

.

That's a bit of a knee jerk reaction, Our midfield with Anderson bossed Gerrard and Fabregas last season yet I wouldn't say he's a better player.

As for Fletcher he is now an integral part of our team and is a first choice player IMO. He's got to be one of the most if not the most improved player in European football. Having said that though I don't know if he woulda made a difference in Rome as Xavi and Iniesta were simply awesome.

[Bobby Sands]

^^no he would have made little difference against Barcelona in that game because he is simply not that good of a player but some of your supporters and some pundits i have heard seem to think that Man Utd would have won that match if Fletcher was playing. that is just ridiculous. Im not saying Fletcher is a poor player either btw

There is nothing knee jerk about what i said. Ive had this opinion of Man Utd's central midfield since last season. it is the weakest position they have imo.Last season they had a great defense and attack but were weak in central midfield. Carrick, Anderson and Fletcher are nothing special and Scholes is well past it. Our central midfield of Mascherano and Lucas won that battle hands down last week.

Dunno where you are getting this Anderson bossed Gerrard last season out of either because the only time Steven Gerrard played against Man Utd last season was when Liverpool won 4-1. He played very well in that game. maybe you meant some other game? and besides Gerrard wasnt playing in central midfield.

[2Pax]

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

^^no he would have made little difference against Barcelona in that game because he is simply not that good of a player but some of your supporters and some pundits i have heard seem to think that Man Utd would have won that match if Fletcher was playing. that is just ridiculous. Im not saying Fletcher is a poor player either btw

We could have, I doubt it though, no point living in the land of speculation.

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

There is nothing knee jerk about what i said. Ive had this opinion of Man Utd's central midfield since last season. it is the weakest position they have imo.Last season they had a great defense and attack but were weak in central midfield. Carrick, Anderson and Fletcher are nothing special and Scholes is well past it. Our central midfield of Mascherano and Lucas won that battle hands down last week.

To be honest we're lacking real quality all over the midfield at the minute, central and wing wise. I thought Carrick was good last year but he hasn't even come close to rediscovering that form again.

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

Dunno where you are getting this Anderson bossed Gerrard last season out of either because the only time Steven Gerrard played against Man Utd last season was when Liverpool won 4-1. He played very well in that game. maybe you meant some other game? and besides Gerrard wasnt playing in central midfield.

I was actually referring to when Anderson and Hargreaves controlled things in our victory at Anfield in 2007, I didn't know it was almost two years ago until I looked it up, sorry.

[Bobby Sands]

^^So Fletcher is so good that he would have made that much difference? that is just nonsense. He is a decent player and nothing more. He would have been just another player for Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to run rings around in that game.

Carrick was good the season before last but i think he has been poor since.

didnt Ferguson and himself have a row after the champions league final last season?

[hizzle?]

oh on facebook? yeah that was sarcasm. I think that I said that at this point, I'd rather see Sven Goran on the bench than Rafa. either that or that even sven goran would do a better job.

[2Pax]

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

^^So Fletcher is so good that he would have made that much difference? that is just nonsense. He is a decent player and nothing more. He would have been just another player for Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to run rings around in that game.

No, I never said we would've won had Fletcher played. I meant we would have played differently. I doubt any team Fergie put out that day would have won.

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

Carrick was good the season before last but i think he has been poor since.

didnt Ferguson and himself have a row after the champions league final last season?

It was rumoured. Also towards the start of the season Carrick was suddenly benched for a while for no apparent reason and when Fergie was asked why he said "you'll have to ask Michael". So one can only assume they had a disagreement.

[Puke]

Originally Posted by Bobby Sands

Babel hasnt lived up to the hype. I remember he was considered a serious prospect when he was at Ajax. tbh i cant understand why because i thought he looked poor from day one.Apart from one our two performances coming off the bench in his first season, there has been nothing. He has been given so many chances in every forward position and hasnt done anything. Then when he isnt in the team, he sulks. By all accounts he doesnt work hard enough either. I had never seen him play for Ajax though. Maybe if he moves back to Holland, he might fullfill this potential he supposedly has. All i see is plenty of speed, decent shot, poor technique, poor decision making, surprisingly weak for his size, no confidence, one footed . Im guessing that he done well in the dutch league based on his two strongest attributes- his pace, and his shot. The standard of defending was lower so it was much easier to beat defenders with his pace alone and get space for a shot. Sort of like Cisse in the french league.

Aye, those (pace and powerful shot)were his biggest weapons over here. But against a higher standard of defending and more physical players, he's pretty poor.

But I've never really rated Babel either. You summed up his inadequacies very well, I cringe every time he plays for the NT.

[Bobby Sands]

its amazing how some players can be so overhyped.

I wonder if liverpool threw Babel into a deal to buy Afellay or Nordin Amrabat, would PSV be interested.