9 Games Gone - How Does Your Team Rate?

Xavi6

With most teams having played 9 games and an international break on the horizon how do you rate your team's start and that of others? What have been the highlight/lowlights so far? Who has impressed? What of the new signings? What improvements are needed?

I'm imagining Arsenal and United fans are quite happy, especially with Chelsea struggling a little. Portsmouth and Blackburn have made good starts too. Can't imagine Spurs fans being to happy. And as for Liverpool, well it'd be unusual for their fans not to have something to say at this stage! Plenty of SPL/Championship fans here too so give your views as well.

For City:

Where to start? Sven has been a revelation. Granted he's been given a load of money to spend but he's done it wisely and managed to mix a host of new players with an already solid nucleus. It's been a dream start, sitting in third two months in. And we beat United, which is always good! Playing the most beautiful football I've seen any City side play. Still hoping for UEFA Cup though. Anything else is a bonus.


Highlight:

Elano's goal against Newcastle. Realising that we actually have a world class attacker in our side could bring tears to the eyes. City fans say he's better than Kinkladze and that's the ultimate compliment

Honourable mentions to Michael Johnson and Didi Hamann for being outstanding in midfield and Micah and Dunney at the back. Solid.

Lowlight:

Losing to Blackburn. Looked like the bubble had burst with Dunne getting sent as well but we bounced back.

Possible Improvements:

Definitely need a keeper. Isaksson's crocked/dodgy and the other two aren't ready yet. Also need a 20-goal striker but hopefully Bojinov will be back in the New Year.


Rating: 9 (out of 10)

Ardent

Liverpool:

It's been a horrible 4 weeks for the club on the pitch and the international break is coming at the right time. Think we can safely say again we won't win the league this season.

Rafa's over-zealous rotation policy has disrupted the continuity of the team and the confidence of the players and it's showing on the pitch. It boggles the mind that he still hasn't learned what it takes to win the league - play your best team and players as often as possible and go for the jugular against the dross of the Premiership. Stop being so negative.

Improvements:
1) Stop chopping and changing the team so much.
2) Buy proper players in the next summer transfer window, we are lacking quality up front and down our entire left flank.

7/10.

One Cold Hand

For Villa:

I'd describe Villa's start as solid. Sitting in 8th with a game in hand on a few teams. Some very good wins (Everton, West Ham, Chelsea). We're winning games that we would have drawn last season. If we can stay injury free (I know thats a big ask!) we should be challenging for Europe.


Highlight:

Beating Chelsea 2-0! Great win and a great boost to the team.

Lowlight:

Losing our 4-1 lead to Spurs. Rather embarrassing really!

Possible Improvements:

A right back. Another striker to cover Carew (Harewood doesn't count!)


Rating: 6.5 (out of 10)

Fratton Fred

Pompey

We have had a really tough start to the season, Arsenal and Chelsea away, Man U and Liverpool at home all in our first six games. Add to that a tough first game away at the new boys Derby and i had a really low expectation from the opening part of the season, But we are fifth!!

We've only lost twice, away at Chelsea and Arse and we have also won twice on our travels as well.

Arry has got a reputation for getting old players and getting one or two extra season out of them, which I suppose he has done with Campbell, Kanu and Hierardesson (sp?) but the really exciting payers to watch at the moment are Niko Krancjar, John Utaka and Sully Muntari all of whom are under 25.

Benjani has been the real difference though, anybody who has watched Pompey since he joined in January 2006 knows what a class player he is, but he could not score (Other than scoring the goal that kept us up in the 2005-2006 season:) ) This season though he has found his finishing touch and his goal count is starting to match the massive difference he makes to our team.

Highlight so far, points off Man U and Liverpool are always a highlight, but 7-4 against Reading is probably one of the highlights of the premiership so far, let alone Pompey.

10/10 so far. Just for the exciting fast moving football we play.

mike65

Well its better than last seasons opening period (increasingly "only just" though).

8 played 4 wins 4 draws, which is NOT good enough. All of the games drawn
were perfectly winnable had Rafa simply played a full-on style with the best 11. Only Chelsea was beyond our control (!).

Highlight, proberly the second game against Toulous - slick, fast, powerful atacking moves and lots of goals. Low light Marseille for sure. 100% incompetence. Could'nt pass and move for toffee. Hard to belive it was the 'same' team.

Star player - Voronin! Free!

6/10 simply cos it should be 8 or 9/10.

Mike.

Peyton Manning

Man Utd

Not the best of starts to the season. Most United fans probably expected a lot more from us and given the signings we made this summer, were probably right too. We've been unlucky with injuries and suspensions but we have the quality players to do better than we did in most matches. Things are looking up now, our attack is finally gaining some fluidity to their play and our defence is the best in Europe at the moment.


Highlight:

Probably the 2-0 win against Chelsea. Completely controlled the game, Tevez gets his first goal, traitor Mikel gets sent off and yet another clean sheat. A nice days work.

Lowlight:

1-0 defeat to the other crowd. Enough said really, just a horrible game.

Possible Improvements:

We have a strong squad, perhaps a few questions still being asked about how reliable Saha is. Maybe another out and out striker in January if he cant prove he can stay fit. Obviously, our forwars will have to start scoring more too.

Star Player: Rio Ferdinand - his performances recently have been nothing short of world class.

Rating: 7.5/10

Zaph

Leeds:

10 games in for those of us who are fans of League One clubs, and spectacular is the only word I can use to describe it. The 15 point deduction has had an amazing galvanising effect on both the players and the fans. The team are getting stuck in and refusing to give up until the very end, two last minute winners last week is testament to that, and the fans are turning up in their droves for every home game, Saturday's attendance was bigger than 4 of this weekend's Premiership gates. Equally important, there are huge numbers travelling to the away games, none of which could be considered attractive footballing destinations, and they're providing great support for the team. Even Dennis Wise is doing well, although I still suspect that this is his natural level as a manager.


Highlight:

Winning 2-1 away to Forest in the 3rd game of the season. Forest would have fancied themselves to go up this season and to go there and get a win was a huge boost for the team.

Lowlight:

Being subjected to appalling refereeing which resulted in dropping our only 2 points of the season and having both strikers sent off away to Gillingham.

Possible Improvements:

A rich Russian buyer to replace Ken "Bad Santa" Bates, who would then buy back Elland Road and the Thorp Arch training facility and oversee our rise to European champions within 5 years. Failing that, a couple of decent loan signings to boost a slightly thin on the ground squad.


Rating: At the moment it can't be anything other than 10/10

Mr Alan

Liverpool:

Great start, everything going swimmingly, playing excellent attacking football, new signings seemed to have blended in perfectly, outplayed Chelsea at Anfield only to have the ref quite literally make one of the worst decisions ever and cost us two points. Chelsea proceed to celebrate on the pitch as if they'd just won a cup,this to me signalled the fact that the other teams now view us as genuine challengers for the title. Stevie played for England with a broken toe when he should have been resting after his exertions against Chelsea, his form has been ****e since, team now seems to have no confidence, still not losing games though, which is the difference between us this year and last year. another international break arrives upon us, good time for us to take stock - hopefully when its over, with Agger and Alonso back, we'll be raring to go, a win in the Derby being the perfect start.

Highlight:

Cutting Derby apart like we havent been able to do for a team for years.
Fernando Torres is an amazing player, perfectly suited to both the club, and league. Reina has imo matured somewhat and now looks like the top keeper in the league.

Lowlight:

Marseille, enough said.

Possible Improvements:

return to form for Gerrard,Carragher,Finnan,Mascherano and Alonsos and Aggers returns.

Rating: 7/10

Blackjack

Hibs:
Best start to the season I could have imagined. Have taken 6 points from both Old firm teams, and remain unbeaten in the SPL, and in second place.

Spurs:
Nuff said.

redspider

zaph> (Leeds) At the moment it can't be anything other than 10/10

The Leeds story is definitely one to watch this season. I reckon they will win the '3rd division' despite the 15 pts deduction.

However, what happens long-term is anyone's guess with Bates in charge. But the good news is that the fans are there which will stand them in good stead despite what Bates may or may not do.

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redspider wrote:

I reckon they will win the '3rd division' .

It's called League 1.

Has been for a few years now.

gosplan

Jesus will you liverpool fans ever just STOP MOANING!!!!!!! :mad:

If Liverpool win their game in hand they're what, 1 point behind Utd?

The last two years all you've been banging on about is:

'oh we would have won the league if it started in December' and 'we were the best team since Christmas'

By my reckoning, if Liverpool and the other teams keep going at their current rate you'll be what 4-5 points behind come Christmas.

If this happens then you simply need to repeat the good form in the run in that Benitez's team ALWAYS show. It's how he won with Valencia and how he'll win with Liverpool(if they win).

I mean how can you criticise rotation in October!!!!!!! it's a policy that doesn't bear any fruit till the new year.

My own team, Arsenal, haven't had a really tough game yet so they're still doing well. They will drop points though. Utd are second because they met a rudderless Chelsea and a few 1-0 results went their way. They are beginning to show form now but they didn't have any thievry like the Liverpool-Chelsea result happen to them yet!!!

This criticism of rotation is simply rubbish spawned by useless hacks who need to fill column inches. It's then picked up by fans who have nothing better to do then whinge and whinge and whinge.

For two years, you've been saying 'we need to stick with the leaders at the start of the season'.

Now you're saying 'we need to be top'.

YOU DON'T!! YOU JUST NEED TO BE IN TOUCH!!

Sorry but it's really bugging me because it's everywhere these days and to be honest it's a cheap complaint which shows no understanding of Benitez, his strategy or Liverpool's form over the last few years.
I mean why the hell do you always put in such good performances in the champions league? Could it be because the knock out stages are later on in the year???

Give your team and manager a break FFS.

You're doing the new part and are halfway there. If Benitez gets to Christmas within a few points of top spot then you simply need to repeat the form of the last couple of years.....which is down to ROTATION!!!!

ARRRRGGGGHHHGHHHHHHHHH :mad: :mad: :mad:

Mr Alan

well said Gosplan gonna throw that in the Liverpool thread in case anyone misses it!

Xavi6

Personally I dread the day Liverpool win the title. Their fans have become more unbearable than United fans and that's saying something. I don't know if I'd be able to come on here again if they do win it. Imagine.... *shudders*

Mr Alan

Xavi6 wrote:

Their fans have become more unbearable than United fans and that's saying something.

Lets not get carried away!!!!!:D

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Xavi6 wrote:

Personally I dread the day Liverpool win the title. Their fans have become more unbearable than United fans and that's saying something. I don't know if I'd be able to come on here again if they do win it. Imagine.... *shudders*

Says the guy who is proclaiming some guy as a God after a half dozen decent performances for City?

Jaysis, City fans will be unbearable if the qualify for the Inter-two-bob:D

PHB

lol, I loved the whole 'best team since October' crap. It's pretty easy to be the beat team when you've no pressure. I'm pretty sure United or Chelsea would win pretty much every game if they were no longer in the league race. It's the pressure that effects team, and Liverpool have yet to show they've dealt with it yet.

Xavi6

DesF wrote:

Says the guy who is proclaiming some guy as a God after a half dozen decent performances for City?

Jaysis, City fans will be unbearable if the qualify for the Inter-two-bob:D

Master of the understatement Des. Unlike Liverpool we aren't used to seeing quality at our club so when, every ten years or so, we get someone who is I'm gonna celebrate it!

Last time we qualified for the Inter Toto I didn't scream from the rafters, though we only got into it through the fair play raffle!

Any success will probably lead me to becoming unbearable but we havent won anything in over thirty years unlike the ungrateful Scousers who have made 2 European Cup finals in three years and won the League and FA Cup more than once in recent times.

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Xavi6 wrote:

and won the League... in recent times.

No, they haven't.

Xavi6

DesF wrote:

No, they haven't.

Hey that's selective quoting! I hear The Sun are recruiting.

gosplan

gosplan wrote:

My own team, Arsenal, haven't had a really tough game yet so they're still doing well. They will drop points though. Utd are second because they met a rudderless Chelsea and a few 1-0 results went their way. They are beginning to show form now but they didn't have any thievry like the Liverpool-Chelsea result happen to them yet!!!

You're not giving United enough credit here. They have only conceded 2 goals all season in the League. Been winning games without playing particularly well. Hoping they keep this up and go on their traditional good run after Christmas.

Also I felt the results against Citeh and Reading were thievery in so far as we dominated both games!! Not quite the same as the ref gift wrappin a penno but still games which we normally would have won.

Mr Alan

Mr Alan wrote:

Lets not get carried away!!!!!:D

I personally know fans of Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Villa who agree with him.

kinaldo

Newcastle:

Our best start in years coinciding with the takeover of an English billionaire who looks like a Geordie, but still no better than average. We're struggling to adapt to the 4-3-3 formation the manager favours but we're starting to create more in the last few games when we're not hoofing the ball up to midget strikers. Big Sam has improved the squad hugely on a small budget and one only has to look at our bench in recent weeks to see that. Taylor and Roz started out as our first choice cbs but against Everton we had Faye and Cacapa playing, the latter being somewhat of a revelation this season. Not to mention being able to bring on Owen and Emre on to win the game with Viduka also out injured - and we still haven't seen Joey Barton or Damien Duff yet. We've had a relatively easy fixture list to start off with so it feels like we've dropped a few too many points already. Sam Allardyce should stop moaning about internationals and foreign managers etc. and focus more on winning the big tests around the corner.

Highlight:

Emre's spectacular late cameo against Everton and going 3-0 up at half-time away to Bolton on the opening day. A semi-fit but sharp looking Michael Owen this season to keep Martins on his toes, although I'd much prefer to see them play together. Baye and Enrique have barely played but both look like top class fullbacks.

Lowlight:

The Derby County defeat stands out more so because we didn't even look like scoring against a side that's recently conceded 15 without reply against Arsenal, Pool and Spurs. Also Smith occasionally playing in midfield as captain.

Possible Improvements:

We need to be more adventurous. The return of Emre and Barton for the next game should see the beginning of more free-flowing football, but it remains to bee seen if Allardyce can accommodate both of them. Too many injury problems still.

Rating: 6.5 (out of 10)