Which Prem team position suprises you the most?

mike65

1 Chelsea 9 20 27
2 Tottenham 9 6 18
3 Man Utd 8 7 17
4 Man City 9 4 17
5 Wigan 8 3 16
6 Charlton 7 5 15
7 Bolton 9 -1 14
8 Arsenal 8 5 13
9 West Ham 7 6 12
10 M'bough 9 -2 12
11 Blackburn 9 -3 11
12 Liverpool 7 -1 10
13 Newcastle 9 -3 9
14 West Brom 9 -7 8
15 Portsmouth 9 -4 7
16 Birmingham 8 -5 6
17 Aston Villa 8 -6 6
18 Fulham 8 -6 5
19 Sunderland 9 -7 5
20 Everton 8 -10 3

Amazing to consider nearly 10 weeks of the new season has already past, which team league position has suprised you most so far, be it for good or bad reasons?

I go for Arsenal, Wigans heriocs notwithstanding. When they failed to buy a striker (read Owen) during the summer it seemed madness...they're no lower than Liverpool (equall points if the Reds wins thier game in hand) but its seems worse than that somehow.

Mike.

Dub13

Everton...after last season I think most people taught they would struggle to maintain even a top half finish,but bottom....:D even this early in the season is bad.

Lemlin

I go for Arsenal, Wigans heriocs notwithstanding. When they failed to buy a striker (read Owen) during the summer it seemed madness...they're no lower than Liverpool (equall points if the Reds wins thier game in hand) but its seems worse than that somehow.

It is worse. They may be equal with Liverpool but they're hardly setting the world alight anyway. Arsenal have already lost more games than Chelsea will this season IMO. It could be an even harder season for them to take if Chelsea make it look like their record two years ago wasn't all that great by matching it, which I think they could.

I would go for Wigan. They didn't sign any big name players and for them to have 16 points is testament to their character and team spirit, not to mention team manager Paul Jewell. Another 20 from the next 28 games, 84 possible points, and they'll be safe for the season, although I'm sure they're setting their sights higher than just survival at the minute.

wheres me jumpa

everton

Royale with Cheese

I'll go for Arsenal as well. The gap between the top 3 and the rest was supposed to be massive, doesn't look like that now.

whiskeyman

I'm going to break away and say Chelsea. (not on position, but more on how they're doing it).
Played 9, won 9... amazing GD... can anyone actually see them losing?
I knew they'd do well and probably win, but did anyone expect them to start off this well?
(Based on position alone, I'd go Everton.... then Arsenal).

20 Times 20 Times

Well everyone did think that wigan would be the whipping boys , doesn't look that way now. They're my big surprise this season and fair play to them.Another thing slighlt off topic eirebhoy , you made a point in another thread about how well kavanagh plays for wigan . Point taking.

The Muppet

I have to go for the Gunners as well. After their record breaking season before last and all the talk of a shift in Power to Highbury expectations were at an all time high but their explosive game appears to have fizzeled out somewhat.

Waster

Evertons position surprised me the most last year but surprises me the least this year.
Arsenals form is surprising a first glance but when you consider how reliant they are on Henry and were on Viera it is less so. They have been very lucky over the last few seasons that Henry hasn't been injured at all. Reyes doesn't seem capable of filling that Henry sized hole which is unsurprising given Thiery is one of the best players in the wrold.

Jonny Arson

I'm very surprised by Aston Villa's lackluster start to the season. Yes they did win today but considering the money they've spent this season I would have thought they would be performing better.

LegacyUser

has to be Arsenal.

Jivin Turkey

While Arsenal's start has not been good, I hardly think it's shocking. Missing Henry and the departure of Vieira has left them without their two most influential players, then Campbell has also been injured for most of the season. Missing vital players like these are going to affect results.

For me it has to be Wigan, I backed them to stay up at the start of the season, but they are already almost half way there. And they havn't even spent that much money.

Guy:Incognito

Liverpool. Although it doesnt really surprise me, it really dissapoints more.

Pepe LeFrits

Wigan and Everton, both for obvious reasons. Arsenal's slow start is unusual but hardly surprising given their luck as of late. They've been good at home and a bit unlucky away to lose to Chelsea and West Brom. I don't think there are many teams who could cope with losing the likes of Henry, Campbell, Cole, Hleb, Van Persie, Bergkamp, Ljungberg and Gilberto all in the opening weeks of a season. Difficult to get any kind of form or consistency together when you're forced to continually patch up the team in different places.

As for the criticism of Reyes not being able to replace Henry, he can hardly be expected to, given that he's either been played as a deep striker or as a winger. He's been by far Arsenal's best attacking player this season and if anyone is responsible for taking on Henry's mantle then its RVP.

Jivin Turkey

kaids wrote:

I don't think there are many teams who could cope with losing the likes of Henry, Campbell, Cole, Hleb, Van Persie, Bergkamp, Ljungberg and Gilberto all in the opening weeks of a season. Difficult to get any kind of form or consistency together when you're forced to continually patch up the team in different places.

Cole and Hleb have played in every Arsenal game this year but one. Ljungberg all but two.

What their start is really showing is how much they depend on Henry. Not just to score goals but to also help other score goals. Not a single midfielder or forward has scored more than one for them this year.

Gangsta

It has to be Arsenal. You always have a low quality team doing surprisingly well (everton last year and wigan this year) but Arsenal have been shocking but I think it's mainly down to injuries. Granted Chelsea are way ahead of everyone else but we all expected Arsenal to be around the top3 at this early stage.

Pepe LeFrits

Jivin Turkey wrote:

Cole and Hleb have played in every Arsenal game this year but one. Ljungberg all but two.

What their start is really showing is how much they depend on Henry. Not just to score goals but to also help other score goals. Not a single midfielder or forward has scored more than one for them this year.

And all 3 were out for the last game in addition to Campbell, Henry and Van Persie, which they lost.

[Jackass]

Wigan.

Arsenal is suprising...But Wigan is pretty amazing! :eek:

Also European champions struggling to make the top half is mildly amusing after all the banter you listen to on hear!! (please keep pandoras box firmly shut).

Necronomicon

1. Everton: While I didn't expect them to reach the dizzying heights of last season, I wouldn't have believed anyone that told me they would be rock bottom with just one goal to their name ten weeks into the season.
2. Arsenal: Wenger wasn't overly active in the transfer market which some people have pointed out, and I do think he made a mistake in not replacing Vieira, but I don't think you would have expected them to have 3 defeats already. Historical year for them, last season in Highbury and all that, I didn't expect them to start falling behind the pace so early.
3. Wigan: They were one of my dark-horses to do well this season, and I knew they wouldn't be pushovers, but surely even they find their start to the season hard to believe. 5 wins and a draw from their last 6 games, that is a phenominal record so far. (actually I'd be interested to know has any promoted team ever had such a good start?)
4. Liverpool: Hardly inspiring in the league last season but after some good signings and Benitez with a year under his belt, I thought Liverpool would be closer contenders for the title this season. Who knows, they might still be, but I didn't expect them to have such a lackluster start...especially after experiencing the high of winning the Champion's League.
5. Aston Villa: O' Leary has complained many times before about his squad not being the biggest, but I think this season he's had the best squad since he took over the club. Some great signings like Kevin Phillips, Patrick Berger and Milan Baros, I thought they'd have a fairly good start.

andyman

Arsenal and Wigan

evilhomer

I woud have to go with Everton and Wigan.

Everton because they have basically the same team they did last year and have brought in some really good footballers.

Wigan, Paul Jewell has bought a lot of players this summer to up the quality in his team, but I never expected them to gel so well and so quickly. Although when you look at the games they have coming up, you wouldn't be too hopeful of them staying where they are.

19 Nov Arsenal (H)
26 Nov Tottenham (H)
3 Dec Liverpool (A)
10 Dec Chelsea (A)
14 Dec Man. United (A)
17 Dec Charlton (H)

evad_lhorg

wigan and charlton. another couple of wins and wigan are almost guaranteed to stay up .

PHB

Arsenal aren't that suprising.
The depth of any of the top squads when losing their best players is always troublesome, and Arsenal are no diff. ANd have just got unlucky.

Everton are doing shockingly badly. That suprises me greatly

Wigan are the greatest suprise. I thought of all the times they would do the best in staying up, but to do this well is unreal

MrJoeSoap

Wigan/Everton/Charlton/Man City/Arsenal.

In that order.

mike65

So much for any worries about the old order

1----Chelsea

---

14---26----37
2----Man Utd

---

13----8----27
3----Arsenal

---

13---12----26
4----Liverpool

---

13----7----25

Business as usual.

Mike.

Pepe LeFrits

The top 4 will start to pull away from the rest of the premiership over the next while I think - Chelsea, United and the Pool should all win at the weekend. Arsenal are away to Bolton which was a banana skin last season, so it'll be interesting to see if things will be any different this time round.

Spurs have gotten a lot of their tough games out of the way though, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them keep pace. Ditto Bolton if they get a result against Arsenal.

Töpher

Villa

evilhomer

Newcastle

mchurl

gotta be villa as a surprise. i agree though that the top four will start to pull away from the rest but maybe spurs might be able to keep pace with them as i like the look of them this season. cant see bolton staying with the though.

Villain

Wigan, defo!

The Muppet

irish1 wrote:

Wigan, defo!

It just has to be Wigan.

On the other end of the scale Evertons position is surprising considering what they did last season.

therecklessone

The Muppet wrote:

It just has to be Wigan.

On the other end of the scale Evertons position is surprising considering what they did last season.

Agreed on both counts, there's nothing more surprising than those two.

The table:

1 Chelsea 14 26 37
2 Man Utd 13 8 27
3 Arsenal 13 12 26
4 Liverpool 13 7 25
5 Wigan 13 6 25
6 Tottenham 14 6 24
7 Bolton 13 2 23
8 Man City 14 3 21
9 West Ham 13 4 19
10 Middlesbrough 14 0 19
11 Charlton 13 -1 19
12 Newcastle 14 -2 18
13 Blackburn 14 -3 18
14 Fulham 14 -4 15
15 Aston Villa 14 -8 15
16 Everton 13 -11 13
17 West Brom 14 -9 12
18 Portsmouth 14 -9 10
19 Birmingham 13 -9 9
20 Sunderland 15 -18 5

I really can't understand how Villa or Newcastle fans are surprised by their current positions. Villa haven't strengthened enough (and won't under Deadly Doug) and Newcastle have strengthened, but not in the key position (defence). Without Owen up front Newcastle will struggle all season.

I expect Boro to be in the mix for 5-6th come the end of the season, and I'd like to think that Bolton's Wimbeldon routine will be found out some time soon.

Bacchus

I feel really sorry for Wigan. After having such a great run they had to face a string of very tough games that they had little hope of winning...

Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle,

Altough they did beat Newcastle after two defeats on the trot, the next 3 games will really knock the wind out of their sails...

Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd -> all away games

I expect three defeats for Wigan here which will be devastating for team moral and they might find it hard to get back to winning ways, especially with Charlton and Man City and Blackburn after those fixtures. I can see Wigan quickly slipping to midtable (somewhere between 8th and 12th) by the new year. Still a great achievment for them though considering it's their first year in the premier league.

The only other surprises are Newcastle and Everton. Though I'm not shocked however. Everton's squad is too small. Everyone was saying it last year that they'll eventually breakdown due to their squad size. It finally happened when the new season started with a terrible start to the season. They're starting to pick up a few wins now and I expect them to be fighting for 6th/7th come the end of the season.
Newcastle for all their spending, never impressed me. For me, it's Souness. He's an average manager. Great at putting a squad together but never seems to get anywhere with em. Obviously, Michael Owens injuries have been a problem but everyone and their dog knows Owen is very injury prone and can't be expected to start half the games. I expect Newcastle to stay about where they are now, maybe even slip further if Owen misses more games.

Villain

Emm Wigan didn't look like a team lacking moral last night, so I doubt if 3 defeats to 3 of the tops will do them much harm, they have nothing to lose or nothing to prove, anything above the bottom 3 is a success to Wigan.

I mean look at last nights game against Newcastle, Wigan look like they are really enjoying their football compared to Newcastle who are trying so hard but just can't grind out the results. I reckon Wigan will finish in the top 10 which will be a huge success.

Bacchus

Okay maybe I didn't explain myself best.
As we all know, teams can get into ruts of bad results. Their next three games are most likely going to be defeats. That'll be 5 premiership defeats in a row. I know you can say "well it's against the top teams" but a rut is a rut and their following games against more reasonable opposition are still quite tough. If they fail to get something out of the Charlton game, they'll be in a bit of bother.
I still think top 10 is achievable by them (which I said in my previous post) but I expect them to slip dramatically by New Year.

Bluetonic

mike65 wrote:

So much for any worries about the old order

1----Chelsea

---

14---26----37
2----Man Utd

---

13----8----27
3----Arsenal

---

13---12----26
4----Liverpool

---

13----7----25

Business as usual.

Mike.

With the exception of last season of course when at no stage were all these in the top four together.

Steve_o

Everton can't seem to get themselves sorted but the biggest surprise is Wigan Athletic in 5th Place!

Rikand

Blackburns position

With Sparky, and MGP, we should have this division wrapped up already! :eek:

gracehopper

Liverpool in 4th is a big suprise

LegacyUser

Clearly Wigan!

Kingp35

Im sticking by my original thought and that was Wigan, despite the fact that they have lost two in a row in the league now.

chiller

everton and wigan thought everton would be up fighting and wigan down the bottom of the table