Penultimate Prem Match Weekend Thread

Im_No_Superman

PHB wrote: »

IMO they will beat Derby, the question is will Harry put out a team against Fulham. At least Diarra and Defoe will be playing, so it'll be half decent. Those two players could beat Fulham normally, but a Fulham fighting from relegation I"m not so sure

If Reading do go down, I can see a lot of their players being poached. Hunt Bikey and Doyle for sure.

Was watching Sky Sports News there and Harry said he would be putting a full strength side out as he wouldnt like it if he was in a relegation battle and someone put a weakened team out against one of his rivals. How focused those players will be on the game is another story though.

herbieflowers

PHB wrote: »

Reading are almost certain to win against Derby though.

I dunno, they haven't scored in a while...lot more pressure on them seeing as their low on confidence, regardless of the opposition

PHB

That's great news. Good old Harry, despite him being dodgy as **** in transfer dealings, I really do like him and how he sees the game.

invincibleirish

PHB wrote: »

Reading are almost certain to win against Derby though.

Hopefullty there will be a sting in the tail in Derby, they'l drag whoever they can with them!

Im_No_Superman

PHB wrote: »

That's great news. Good old Harry, despite him being dodgy as **** in transfer dealings, I really do like him and how he sees the game.

Yeah same as, pitty his son is such an insufferable so and so!

Mr Alan

PHB: sent you a PM there

xx

herbieflowers

Mr Alan wrote: »

PHB: sent you a PM there

xx

shudder

DEmeant0r

Derby will have nothing to lose, I'm sure their players would want to end their season with a bang, that and Reading are in complete freefall...

Xavi6

Arsenal have just taken off Luis Fabianski and replaced him with Lehmann. The crazy German is getting the last 20 as a send off to the Arsenal fans. 0-0 at the mo

_blank_

1-0 now, Bentner. Nice header.

Xavi6

Thumping header

Charlie

Everton really seemed to have lost that spark they had for so much of the season since they got knocked out of the Uefa Cup.

Xavi6

That's what they get for not playing Arteta

Mr Alan

why wasnt he playing?

delija_sever029

FT Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton
they really played bad last rounds and lost chance to even fight with Liverpool for CL as they had a chance....

Sherifu

Poor Everton :pac:

Xavi6

Mr Alan wrote: »

why wasnt he playing?

Hasn't started the last few games AFAIK. Was on the bench last week as well anyway.

delija_sever029

Still the question,why?He was great this season

Necronomicon

He's had his injury problems this season, hasn't been able to be as consistent. Looks like he's found it hard to break back into the team since his latest return.

Chardee MacDennis

Sun Jihai is hell bent to do as many stupid things as he can this season. Terrible challenge on Babel there.

genericgoon

Well tbh without Arteta and Chaill they lack a bit of quality going forward tbh.

Xavi6

"Hey, Thaksin.....leave our Sven alone!" (to the tune of Pink Floyd). Love it!

Charlie

Cracking effort from Elano.

Good free kick takers are a dying bread these days.

Xavi6

Yeah it was a super effort alright. Very unlucky

OPENROAD

Terrible defending by Dunne, very well taken by Torres.

Xavi6

Not really terrible from Dunne. The defence was left exposed by the midfield giving possession away cheaply and he was merely beaten for pace.

Joe Hart must be in double figures now for goals that have gone through his legs.

OPENROAD

Well beaten, thats any chance I had of topping my fantasy football league gone:(


Come on Stephen Ireland get a goal pls.

Xavi6

Thank God I dropped Dunne and Johnson. This is gonna be 3 or 4 nil.

Charlie

I think this game is an example of Liverpool's shortcomings for the league title. They really should have had that game well wrapped up, but left themselves exposed to a late equaliser. If they can consolidate draws into wins, then they may be challengers. But to do this, they need to kill off games like United do.

EDIT: I realise that Liverpool won today, and my post comes across as if they drew today.

Smegball

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I think this game is an example of Liverpool's shortcomings for the league title. They really should have had that game well wrapped up, but left themselves exposed to a late equaliser. If they can consolidate draws into wins, then they may be challengers. But to do this, they need to kill off games like United do.

EDIT: I realise that Liverpool won today, and my post comes across as if they drew today.

Yeah thats the main difference between teams like Pool and Chelsea rather than United and Arsenal. Utd and Arsenal will always try and score a few more whereas Pool and Chelsea shut up shop or remain cautious.

Charlie

Smegball wrote: »

Yeah thats the main difference between teams like Pool and Chelsea rather than United and Arsenal. Utd and Arsenal will always try and score a few more whereas Pool and Chelsea shut up shop or remain cautious.

Whilst Chelsea do favour shutting up shop, and are very effective at it, with Liverpool, whilst they also deploy such a tactic sometimes (particularly in Europe), I am referring more to there lack of closing out a game. Not because they are shutting up shop, but because they are not sticking their chances away.

mike65

Smegball Have you looked at Liverpool match scorelines by any chance?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/results/default.stm

Also Liverpool clearly did not shut up shop today or at any time in the last 3/4 months. Nor did they at the start of the season. There was a period when the goals dried up when indeed they did get very cautious but that was for a minority of the season.

Mike.

LuckyLloyd

Really hope Fulham complete the great escape now and stay up with big Brian 'the hero' McBride leading the way. People were queuing up to write them off but they have stuck at it and shown tremendous character over the past month.

Reading deserve to go down because they have been awful since Christmas. The claim that they play good football from PHB is frankly ridiculous. They have managed 37 goals in 37 games. They have been plain bad this year and won't be missed.

It will be tough for Fulham next weekend, but if they play like they have the last two weeks it should be good enough.

mike65

Agree, McBride and Bullard have brough new life back, makes you wonder if Sanchez was harshly treated (or maybe not!)

Mike.

Vokes

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Taylor, Faye, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Viduka, Owen, Martins.
Subs: Forster, Cacapa, Duff, N'Zogbia, Smith.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Carvalho, Bridge, Essien, Obi, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.
Subs: Cudicini, Shevchenko, Lampard, Joe Cole, Alex.

Good strong line-up for Chelsea. And more importantly for them, several match-changing subs on the bench.

Mr Alan

smith on, viduka off

Charlie

Solid first half performance. Chelsea have had more of the possession, and Ballack had a good chance, but apart from that they haven't looked all that threatening.

We've been passing it well, Oba has proven to be a nuisance for them, and St. Michael really should have put one of those chances away.

Looking forward to a good second half.

Edit: Viduka injured, Smith on for the 2n half

Dave!

Viduka playing sh*te, glad he's off...

COME ON OWEN, GET A GOAL!!!

LuckyLloyd

Ballack and Essien upping the tempo. Terry just hit the bar. One way traffic.

delija_sever029

Better performance of Newcatsle in first half,they deserved lead.And i just knew this is going to happen,stupid Chelsea out of nothing 0-1......

corcaighcailin9

Newcastle's own fault. You can't hope to sit back for 45 mins and get away with not conceding against a team like Chelsea. Sh!t anyway, Plan B now - thump Wigan next Sunday!!

Xavi6

Come On Chelsea!!!! Love It!

LuckyLloyd

Chelsea thoroughly deserve their lead.

Unearthly

Michael Owen still has Liverpool blood

mike65

Eh?

Mike.

Xavi6

Two serious chances for Newcastle. Chelsea really need a second.

corcaighcailin9

Unearthly wrote: »

Michael Owen still has Liverpool blood

Damn right. It'd probably kill him to score and help utd out:(

Unearthly

mike65 wrote: »

Eh?

Mike.

sigh

tongue in cheek comment he is missing good chances cause he doesn't want Man Utd to win the league

Xavi6

Lol Terry clearly doesn't fancy playing with Alex!

LuckyLloyd

Xavi6 wrote: »

Lol Terry clearly doesn't fancy playing with Alex!

well, would you?