General Premier League Thread 2024-25

doc_17

When another team olaying against City tries to play like City, it makes a hard watch at times. Important that Liverpool and Arsenal won, in terms of their ambitions. If there’s to be race, you’d need City to start slow……playing Ipswich next so there’s little chance of that. I enjoyed the opening weekend.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517002#Comment_122517002

I'd say Maresca has the same problem tbh

Fitz*

Mad stat:

This weekend, both Arsenal & Man City had goals scored by players who won the CL with Chelsea in 2021.

Chelsea had no players on the pitch this weekend who won the CL with Chelsea in 2021.

theoneeyedman

Sterling releases a statement about being left out of the squad today.….

Quite apart from the absurdity of a player's PR team having a press release ready to go when they are left out of the squad, it's a pure soap opera at Chelsea at present. 2 bus loads of so called first team players, either on astronomical (15million + per annuum in Sterlings case apparently) wages, or on lengthy 7-8 year contracts, or on some cases both.

I've never been either a Chelsea or a Sterling fan, go this is great craic. Chelsea have been a blot on English soccer for many years IMHO, between their NF dominated fan base in the 80s to their dodgy Russian money skewing the transfer market under Roman, to the current Bohley Bullsh1t squad building.... I personally would love to see them go to the wall, but that's just me. Sterling has always seemed to be a bit of a.... not nice lad to say the least, but to be fair to him he always showed up on the field. He wanted and forced his way out of Liverpool but he always played and tried his best, the same at City, and last year for a lot of the season within the bin fire that was Chelsea he was probably one of their best performers. Might have fallen off a bit near the end of the season (I dunno, I had lost interest), but he's still a good player. Can't see anyone willingly taking on that wage level for him though. Would someone like Newcastle take a punt? PSG maybe? Lifestyle might not suit Saudi.....maybe he'll do a Bogarde and sit it out.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517324#Comment_122517324

Chelsea had no players on the pitch this weekend who won the CL with Chelsea in 2021.

Wouldn't be surprised if they had hardly any who played the first game last season

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517591#Comment_122517591

Sanchez, Gusto, Colwill, Enzo & Jackson played in both. Gusto only started this season.

Chilwell, Gallagher & Sterling being forced out.

rob316

That kovacic goal summed up Chelsea, letting a better player go out the door for small money and he strolls through his 200m replacements. The push to get Gallagher out is another bizarre move, a player no sane supporter would want to see sold.

Havertz another they sold and bought worse players.

They desperately need a striker, and won't bring lukaku back in, so play Jackson up front who's useless.

Zak Flaps

……

loyatemu

A couple of weeks ago you could get 16/1 on Maresca winning the sack race (he's 7/1 favourite now). Even then it seemed like a great value bet as they'd already lost all their pre season games and the Fernandez controversy was in full swing.

As a United fan it's some small consolation that's there's a club even worse run than us.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517173#Comment_122517173

The Premier League has been fur coat and no knickers for years now thanks to City.

The league know that, hence the case against City. If they lose that case and City get away with it the league will be a one horse race in perpetuity, like it hasn't been for the last few years anyway.

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517323#Comment_122517323

The Chelsea players look at Maresca and think - "Who is this guy and how did he get this job?"

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517902#Comment_122517902

If City gets away with it, and I'm 99% certain they will then it'll become a two horse race because the Saudis will do all the things City got away with.

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122517902#Comment_122517902

The Premier League has been terrible for years now. Even when you take into consideration those 2 or 3 season when City and Liverpool went gung ho against each other breaking the 95 point barrier. Yes it was impressive, but it was boring to as both teams were just winning every weekend! There was no surprise dropped points in the run in or anything that makes title races worth watching.

And unfortunately, for there to be a race again this year, Liverpool or Arsenal will have to do that, just win 90% of their games and get to that 95 point mark. I can't see either of them doing it though, we don't know how Liverpool are going to go under Slot, and Arsenal are just an injury or 2 away from dropping off, they have amazing runs injury wise the last 2 seasons.

But even if 1 of them dose manage it and challenge City, it still doesn't make the League interesting.

Mitch Connor

Is the entertainment of the Premier League based solely on their being a title race? Is the 'race' for 4th of zero interest? Relegation? The general (IMO) improvement in player and team play quality over the last number of years? I'd say Palace, Brighton, Villa, Spurs, Newcaslte have upped the quality and entertainment of the league?

As for City this season… I don't think they will walk it. Looking at their squad as it is right now I think they are a bit in danger of injuries.
8 defenders, 1 who they don't want and likely will leave or not play. Stones has missed more games than Shaw. Will Walker be a force?
1 Striker.

If everyone stays healthy, then yeah, maybe they machine it and walk it, but there is a danger in the squad right now. imo.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122518352#Comment_122518352

They'll probably sign a defender before the window closes but while they only have seven it's a situation where I think Rico Lewis is the only one of them who can't play multiple positions.

We presume that it's still the same four starters. You then have Akanji who can play all across the back four, Ake left or central, and Rodri can play central if things get really bad. Stones and Walker can also play each others position.

Kabore is there as well and there's been a lot of talk about Alleyne.

Cancelo won't be in the Premier league squad.

As regards the race for the title, it's a huge part of the attraction to any league. Yes people will be interested in the top four and relegation but for the average fan the title is no.1.

Fitz*

Rico Lewis can play RB, LB & in midfield. I think he will take that RB slot off of Walker this season.

A lack of alternative to Haaland is the biggest worry in the squad right now IMO. Obviously Rodri would be the biggest loss if he was to be missing long term.

jacool

Same old, same old

Same teams in the CL positions, Villa in contention and same teams in 7th/8th

I am joking, by the way :)

rob316

Don't see any change to Top 4 really - City, Arsenal and Liverpool still have the best squads.

City/Arsenal for the league - City more likely.

Atleast 2 of the 3 promoted will go back down.

doc_17

Someone call the police, there’s been a robbery. Oliver Skipp is worth £25m pound???? The only thing he does is pass it 5 years a to the side. They’d be better with Oliver Twist.

Osmosis Jones

Jamie Vardy is 37 years old and injured and he's being left up top 40 yards from the nearest teammate to chase long balls.

The Rooster

Spurs have played some lovely football at times. Probably Madison’s best half since 2023!
‘That was a very poor effort from Decordova Reid. Hit the target and it’s a goal and it popped up lovely for him.

ShamoBuc

Spurs should be 4 or 5 up, Vardy scores, 1-1

Typical Spurs.

They should still win but....

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122521177#Comment_122521177

And of course, he scores

Osmosis Jones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122521406#Comment_122521406

The league is better with him in it, one of a kind

https://twitter.com/_DIGB/status/1825634456599933115

eagle eye

Spurs looked toothless up front. Son not very involved in the game. They still look weak defensively, the full backs aren't great defenders.

I can't see them improving on last season.

CSF

Haaland in team of the season over Cole Palmer. Raya in it with 46 saves all season. Democracy might not be all it’s cracked up to be lads.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122518352#Comment_122518352

Race for 4th has died a death because Champions League is absolute garbage these days

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122525292#Comment_122525292

Top scorer and Golden Glove winner. Take the penalties away from Palmer's stats and it paints a different picture.

noodler

Yeah I dunno how anyone could have an issue with the golden boot winner in the TOTY

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122525988#Comment_122525988

Might be rubbish, but it still pays well.,so it's important. (or Top 5 whatever it is)

loyatemu

I think the new CL format could be quite good, even if the usual suspects will probably end up in the last 8.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122526869#Comment_122526869

I mean from a fan/viewer perspective like what the person I quoted was talking about

doc_17

So Chelsea have added another forward. Mad. They are playing some game, risky business. If they don’t get players off their books it will become a soap opera. And clubs looking at any of their players will know they will be desperate come deadline day to get the excess players off their books. Would love to see a Draft Day style documentary featuring Chelsea in the run up to the deadline.

Necro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122527125#Comment_122527125

Maresca doesn't mince his words anyways.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1826230831003906308?t=BoquNMd17_cXuIuOk3aokw&s=19

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1826231600994214148?t=6Keyrh3rTj688alvaxsvCA&s=19

Osmosis Jones

"It's not a mess like it looks from outside……..I simply have to pretend half the football players we pay a wage to don't really exist"

Fitz*

Leicester's new sponsors seem to be a bit dodgy and I'm sure that something will come out about them in the future. They are a crypto gambling site that have been banned from operating in some countries. They have some links to an Asian gambling group involved in money laundering.

This BCGame twitter account has around 280,000 followers but this tweet is being pushed through targeted ad placement so much, it has been viewed over 993,000,000 times, making it the most viewed tweet of all time. The viewcount is about 3 times larger than Twitter's active monthly users.

https://twitter.com/BCGameOfficial/status/1810247811251716421

jacool

Billy Gilmour, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ian Maatsen , Lewis Hall,  Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher is the list of "home grown" talent that has been shifted out of Chelsea since the 2022 takeover. Its unbelievable.

Can't wait to see who gets to organise a loan out of Stamford Bridge before the window closes and how many Winston Bogarde's they will be left with afterwards. With all these people "training apart", Cobham must be massive.

doc_17

And who will train them? Wouldn’t that be a tough job? They’d have the authority of a dodgy substitute teacher. Imagine the egos they’d be dealing with and the bad attitudes that would develop. Chelsea might want permanent deals, but they’ll do well to get a lot of them at terms they will be happy to accept.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122528126#Comment_122528126

Broja & Ampadu have been shifted out aswell. Possibly could include Omari Hutchinson too.

jacool

This is from the Chelsea website about Sterling

A direct dribbler who thrives in any position across the front three or just behind a central striker, Sterling utilises a perfect combination of skill, speed and timing to torment defenders, whether with the ball at his feet or with his consistently productive runs in behind. The England international’s offensive attributes have posted impressive numbers during his career. The majority of his goals are converted from close range, a testament to the forward’s clever movement and impeccable timing in the 18-yard box.

golfball37

Society needs to look at itself when Raheem Sterling is earning 325k a week.

AdamD

Maresca comes across really badly. He won't last beyond Christmas

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122529567#Comment_122529567

Wont see Halloween never mind Christmas.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122528401#Comment_122528401

Tomori back in 2021 as well.

eagle eye

Chelsea are worse now than they were under Abramovich.

I hope Sterling stays getting his big wage to do nothing.

I'm not a fan of Sterling but he was one of their best players last seasons.

IncognitoMan

Sterling is 30 in December. Hard to write off a season at that age if he still has ambition in the game.

Ball is firmly in his court now anyways

klose

Sterling could also wait till the next manager comes in (sooner rather then later) can tough it out in the doldrums and pick up his salary till then.

The Rooster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122529567#Comment_122529567

Not sure what Maresca could have done differently. He has been landed with a squad of 40 odd, and has to whittle that down to 20 odd that he can train with. Sterling one of the lads who are excess to requirements and he had in-person chats to explain his decision. I thought he explained his position well. If Sterling was going to be in the main squad, then he’d have to jettison someone else instead, but Maresca prefers his other options.

And it was Sterling who made all this public by allowing his agent to release a statement at around kickoff time in Chelsea’s match. And between the crying, the statement conveniently left out that Sterling had been told face to face what the position is.

Now whether Maresca lasts any length of time is another story. Far too early to tell and it was an odd appointment

Fitz*

Maresa was using Sterling in pre-season, playing in all their games. He started the 2nd most recent game and played in their last game too for a good chunk of time. He was being involved in the first team constantly. And then just told the next day that he wasn't wanted at all and banished from the first team training facilities. He's training at home now. If the plan was always to not use Sterling, at least tell him earlier in the summer and let him get a move then to a different club.

“The other 15-20 players are training apart. I don't see them. They can even have 20 years contract, it’s not my point. I don’t care” is an absolutely insane quote from Maresca on personal level and also it screws Chelsea over. Clubs who want to buy their players know that Chelsea don't want them and can just offer extremely low fees.

LuckyLloyd

Lads, Sterling is cooked. He may only be 29 years old but he looked like a 34 year old last season. He was moved on from City and dropped from the England squad for good reasons based on his performance. He started playing premier league first team football at 16, his athletic window has come and gone imo.

Chelsea are being run really poorly, but I wouldn’t cry any tears for Sterling or any of the rest. They can do the Bogarde or their agents can arrange a move. Maresca paring down a too large playing pool to a subset he prefers is rational, running first team training with 40+ players is unrealistic.

In retrospect, Abramovich was a really effective owner. It’s a mess, but I don’t really have any sympathy for the players. They will be fine.