Excited about the Premiership?

Attractive Nun

Maybe I'll be hugely disappointed, but looking ahead to the coming season I can't help but be really excited about what could be a really great Premiership.
The sheer number of real quality players that have been transferred into the League, versus the relatively small number of players who are leaving is really encouraging.

For a few quick examples -
INs: Florent Malouda, Eduardo Da Silva, Roque Santa Cruz, Christian Wilhelmsson, Nani, Anderson, Owen Hargreaves, Claudio Pizarro, Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin, Ryan Babel, Rolando Bianchi, Elano, Gareth Bale etc

OUTs: Well, aside from Thierry Henry, the vast majority of 'big' players leaving the league are those who have been out on loan anyway or who haven't really adjusted well to the Premiership - the likes of Luis Garcia, Reyes, Juan Pablo Angel, Khalid Boulharouz, Gonzalez, Cisse, Zenden, Giuseppe Rossi. Actually, that is about it for quality players leaving - though of course there might still be a few departures (Heinze, Robben etc)

In essence, Premiership teams have been replacing unsuccessful players with quality, attacking foreigners. Not 'galacticos', but players who should fit well into their teams and genuinely improve the standard of football. Not only have Man United, Chelsea (assuming they play with wingers) and Liverpool have made attacking transfers and added real quality to hopefully create an exciting title race (jury's still out on Arsenal IMO), but mid-tablers have improved their 'teams' greatly. Newcastle might have sorted out their defence, Spurs have made signings to potentially upset the top 4, Man City are a team transformed, West Ham have Ashton back. Then of course we have the token Irish interest in Sunderland.

Maybe the hype or lack of football have gotten to me, but I personally cannpt wait for the season to start.

EDIT: Clerical error

Mr Alan

Well put.

but leave it out on Luis Garcia! Gonna miss watching him!

One Cold Hand

Woodgate didn't leave, he's moved permanently to Boro.

5starpool

I always look forward immensely to the new season in a non world cup or european championship year. I still look forward to it those years, but not as much.

Attractive Nun

One Cold Hand wrote:

Woodgate didn't leave, he's moved permanently to Boro.

Whoops, misread the BBC transfer list. Even better then!

Pepe LeFrits

Can't wait.

DSB

Attractive Nun wrote:

Roque Santa Cruz

Ah now.

_blank_

Attractive Nun wrote:

Excited about the Premiership?

No.

An Citeog

DSB wrote:

Ah now.

He's done a hell of a lot more than Voronin in the Bundesliga and is Paraguay's star player.

DSB

Yes because Paraguay are full of world class stars. And I'm not really much of a fan of Voronin either but Santa Cruz just jumped out at me as a dodgy choice when thinking about how exciting the Premiership will be next season. He is a bit mediocre like. I'm almost sure I read in that season preview thing that he only scored 1 last season and 11 over the last 3.

eirebhoy

Either way, they're both a lot better than Wilhelmsson.

Gangsta

In response to the OP's post, yes I am looking forward to it immensly (like every year), but this year especially because first and foremost how Arsenal do with our new signings which I believe are of quality and will definately fit into the team. Also, I'm looking forward to see how the likes of Villa, City etc. do with their new transfer policies.

Should be exciting

Zebra3

seansouth wrote:

No.

Ditto.

PHB

Very much so, I'm very hopeful that the quality of the league has improved so that the winner ends up on about 81-90 points, not 91-100 points.

Mossy Monk

Itching for it to begin.

Loomis

Agreed. This is the first season in years that I've been really excited about

applehunter

Not as much as previous years.

Hopefully a team from outside the main 4 can make a challenge.

mike65

Yes I'm looking forward to it, proper footie in a proper league. Big money, big crowds, big points - what do points mean - PRIZES!

That said its undercut by the usual fear of your team managing to blow the league by late September if a Pool fan.

Mike.

wanabe

Hopefully!
Imagine four or five teams all still in the title race with 10 games or less left in the season!
tis but a dream i guess!

applehunter

mike65 wrote:

Yes I'm looking forward to it, proper footie in a proper league. Big money, big crowds, big points - what do points mean - PRIZES!

That said its undercut by the usual fear of your team managing to blow the league by late September if a Pool fan.

Mike.

Still don't think it will be Pool's year.

Any team will Pennant in toe will not win the league and Torres is not the answer.

IMO;)

KdjaCL

mike65 wrote:

Yes I'm looking forward to it, proper footie in a proper league. Big money, big crowds, big points - what do points mean - PRIZES!

That said its undercut by the usual fear of your team managing to blow the league by late September if a Pool fan.

Mike.

Stick to the topic mike its PL not La Liga.

I looking forward to it Tevez in a decent side, Torres losing any skill he may have as he jumps for yet another high ball


kdjac

mike65

/shakes fist

Liverpool to still finish higher in CL than any Spanish side!

Mike.

DaveH

Im dont think it will be that hot the premiership. Last season i thought the standard was pretty weak outside Chelsea\man utd.
I was just thinking about this today...there are 6 very bad teams in the league
Sunderland
Fulham
West Ham
Middlesbrough
Derby County
Wigan

Birmingham could be hit or miss and Id say bolton will be pretty poor with out big sam

The leauge is between Chelsea\Man U\Liverpool....its too close to call between Chelsea and Man U and liverpool will either win the league or finish 15 points behind the winners.
I think Spurs will get 4th place ahead of Arsenal

my own view..but I only agreed with Eamonn Dunphy's comment last year that the Spanish league is far better than the premiership...outside the top 4 in england its not that good.

Loomis

mike65 wrote:

/shakes fist

Liverpool to still finish higher in CL than any Spanish side!

Mike.

Liverpool are practically Spanish anyway

RE*AC*TOR

Yeah, I'm itching for this to start.
This HAS to be a big season for Liverpool. We've certainly improved key positions. Again, like others, I hope we do not screw ourselves over by late September.

I think Liverpool have made significant steps forward, I think Arsenal have moved backwards, Chelsea have stayed about the same (Robben would be a big loss), ManU with Tevez will have moved significantly forward.

I reckon ManU could retain the title if key players maintain form. Arsenal I think, could slip out of the top 4. Liverpool and Chelsea are closer than ever, i think it will be a close call.

Important that Liverpool start winning the BIG matches in the Premiership - starting with game no2 - Chelsea at Anfield!

_blank_

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Important that Liverpool start winning the BIG matches in the Premiership - starting with game no2 - Chelsea at Anfield!

Liverpool won this fixture 2-0 last season iirc? Kuyt and Pennant scored.

jobonar

should be a good season! hopefully alot of very good games and alot of new talent on show should make this possible....

astrofool

seansouth wrote:

Liverpool won this fixture 2-0 last season iirc? Kuyt and Pennant scored.

That's been the exception rather than the rule in recent years however.

TwoShedsJackson

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Important that Liverpool start winning the BIG matches in the Premiership - starting with game no2 - Chelsea at Anfield!

What Liverpool need to do is beat the middling/smaller teams away from home, i.e. Fulham, Boro, Blackburn etc. That's where they dropped most of the points that left them so far behind Chelsea and Manchester United last season.

I am look forward to this season, new manager at Newcastle who's actually bought some defenders etc. Optimism levels rising, hopefully not to be cruelly dashed

PHB

In all fairness, in other to win the league, you have to do both.

I think the league has improved significantly this year.
West Ham can't be classed as a poor team if only because of Ashton.

I think games against the following teams will be tough for any of the top club, especially the away games.

Tottenham
Everton
Portsmouth
Newcastle

Those are teams I think could beat any of the top 4 on a good day, not just on the big teams having a bad day.

---

Surely it's now time for somebody to start a premiership predictions thread

Mitch Connor

TwoShedsJackson wrote:

What Liverpool need to do is beat the middling/smaller teams away from home, i.e. Fulham, Boro, Blackburn etc. That's where they dropped most of the points that left them so far behind Chelsea and Manchester United last season.

I am look forward to this season, new manager at Newcastle who's actually bought some defenders etc. Optimism levels rising, hopefully not to be cruelly dashed

i predict all 4 defenders to start the first game of the season, and newcastle to finish the match with all 4 injured as they run in to each other at a set piece, breaking bones and nails all over the shop.

PDN

Let's make the Premiership more exciting!

How about betting on which player will miss the most games through injury - Michael Owen or Jonathan Woodgate?

Who will dive most - Ronaldo or Drogba?

Who will sign the biggest number of crap players that nobody has heard of - Allardyce or Eriksson?

Chardee MacDennis

i think liverpool had the second best record in the top 4 mini league with chelsea having the worst last season. i have always felt it was the scorelesss draws against bottom half sides that have killed us.

PHB

Arsenal by far had the best record, thanks largely to a double over United.
The problem was, the two seasons before, Chelsea had an almost perfect record against Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs.

Mr Alan

Yea, think i read somewhere that Utd would have finished bottom of the top 4 mini league last year if it wasn't for JOS last minute goal at Anfield.

Always nice to beat the other top 3, but i don't think the title depends on it tbh

Limerick Dude

I actually cannot wait for this season to start, taylor and rozenhal look rock solid and have been defending greatly in pre season! Roll on Saturday!

Mr. Presentable

Attractive Nun wrote:

Maybe I'll be hugely disappointed, but looking ahead to the coming season I can't help but be really excited about what could be a really great Premiership.
The sheer number of real quality players that have been transferred into the League, versus the relatively small number of players who are leaving is really encouraging.


EDIT: Clerical error

You make a good argument re the standard of player now in the league, but, no, not excited about it. It's hard to be excited about a bloated, corrupt edifice no matter how rich it is or what players ply their trade there.

Raskolnikov

DaveH wrote:

my own view..but I only agreed with Eamonn Dunphy's comment last year that the Spanish league is far better than the premiership...outside the top 4 in england its not that good.

It's the same in Spain though.

http://www.soccerholics.com/spanish_primera_liga_winners.aspx

At the moment it looks like there are the "big two", Real and Barca. Then there are two challengers who have an outside chance at the leage, Valencia and Sevilla. None of the other teams have a hope of winning.