English Premiership Football..
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Printed Date: 25-Apr-2024 at 20:01
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Topic: English Premiership Football..
Posted By: Guests
Subject: English Premiership Football..
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 12:47
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....kicked off today!!!!!!!!..hooray!!!!
 ..at last, it felt like a particularly long wait this time round and of course i will be rooting for my team Chelsea (boo!! hiss!! he's behind you!! etc etc) so i will be deflecting the usual round of 'Russian' jokes/bought trophies/money criticism/comments as be the norm at the start of every season since Uncle Roman took over... ....still, should be a good season, plenty of new talent arriving in the Premiership, one or two, maybe even three teams look set to challenge the Manure,Arse, Chelski, Scouse dominance...and all the better for it...
 ....anybody care to comment? make some predictions? generally comment in a positive way about the new season?...
..will also be keeping an eye on the Championship Division to see if Crystal Palace can drag themselves back into the top flight, no particular allegience u understand, its just my best mate supports them and it makes for an interesting weekend when Chelsea meet Palace!!!
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Replies:
Posted By: Majkes
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 14:35
| Who is "Scouse" - Is it Liverpool? Who do You support Oblivion? I like Man U and Liverpool. I hope Chelsea will lose again cause I don't like them to much because of their style and Mourinho. Looking at the squads I think Man U has the biggest chance to win the League. Man City can be the biggest suprise. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 14:51
..Hello Majkes...
..yes indeed, 'scouse' is Liverpool, just a friendly 'footballing term' for the Reds..!! ...and i support Chelsea!!!!!...but it seems i am in the minority on this forum!!!...of course, i think Chelsea will win the title this season, i always do, even pre-Abromovich years!!!..its blinkered following of my team (for some 33 years now)...you have to believe that your team will win...no good thinking they will lose!!!...i think Man Utd will always be there and abouts, all the while Sir Alex is in charge anyway....i have a personal outside bet with a mate that Newcastle will finish in the top four this year....hopefully, this season will be more competative, makes for an exciting footballing year!!...------------- |
Posted By: Majkes
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 15:22
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Hey Oblivion! Being a Chelsea fun is not a crimeyet .
I think Chelsea will fight with Man U for the title. I like You hope for more competition. Maybe Newcastle or Man City and of course Arsenal and Liverpool will be ready to compete with Chelsea and Man U. Who do You can join to fight for the top of the league except teams I mentioned?
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Posted By: Frederick Roger
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 15:43
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Walk On, WAAAALK OOON
With hope in your heaaaart
AND YOU'LL NEEEEEVEER WAAAAALK... ALOOOONE!
YOU'LL NEEEEVER WALK ALONE...
LIVERPOOL!!! LIVERPOOL!!!
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 17:04
...its not a crime????..oh good, then maybe i can go back to enjoying the sport i love just for the sake of fun and enjoyment without having to put myself in the dock, year after year regarding Chelsea FC!!!!!... ....when i mean competative, i don't think there is anyone else in the running for the actual title other than Chelsea or Man Utd, .... ....i do not think that Newcastle and Man City would be able to win the title, not for some years, but along with the likes of Everton, possibly Tottenham and maybe Bolton, such teams could certainly put some pressure on the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd when it comes to securing the top 5 places at the end of the 2007/08 season.....that pressure should ensure that the top teams up the tempo and footballing quality in order to win.... ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11-Aug-2007 at 17:06
..ha ha ha ha!!!!! FR!!!!....god, as a Chelsea fan i am sick and tired of playing Liverpool..a couple of my mates are 'pool monsters and they are sick of Chelsea, can we agree not to turn up on the elected days and save both sets of fans a bucketload of anxiety!!!! ------------- |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 12-Aug-2007 at 06:00
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I watched the downfall of Leeds United, where i once (30 years ago ) watched a match during my stay in wakefield.
Now my sympathies are for Arsenal and Tottenham. And I'm a fan of the saints, which are playing in the Championship league. ------------- 
http://imageshack.us"> 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 12-Aug-2007 at 13:59
..yeah, what the hell has happened to Leeds??..once a great team and they should be up there in the Premiership...looks like they are going the way of Wimbledon....
...i would not say i have a soft spot for Southampton, but one of my all time great and favourite players was Matt Le Tissier...scored some fantastic goals!!!
.....btw..Chelsea won this weekend (after a struggle)..
..Arsenal won (after struggling more slightly )
..and Manure drew against Reading!! (after a monstrous struggle)...  ...still, Chelsea have to play Reading this coming Wednesday, and then we have Liverpool next weekend..groan... ...------------- |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 05:15
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Man City were really impressive against the Hammers but the two great dark horses this season are in the north east - Newcastle and Sunderland. ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 06:03
..will agree with you about Newcastle, i think i mentioned earlier that i have an 'outside' bet that Newcastle will finsih in the top four...looking forward to Sunderland V Man Utd game!!!!!!.... ------------- |
Posted By: Ovidius
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 06:37
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I don't think Man Utd struggled really - they were fairly organised and never really looked threatened. Not forgetting Reading are an established side that came 8th last season. Chelsea looked really disorganised and were never comfortable in their game, playing against a team who are inexperienced in Premiership football. They gave away two fairly easy goals, defended pathetically and even Cech didn't look on form. Arsenal were terrible, fulham are going to be relegated this season and Arsenal were terrible. This season I still think Man Utd or Liverpool will win the league. Relegated - Fulham definately, Middlesborough and another one of the smaller teams Derby maybe or West Ham. And yes, supporting Chelsea should be a crime. So should supporting Man City and any other teams using 'funny money'. |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 11:09
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Its funny how so many chelsea 'die hard' fans have come up out of the woodwork since they started splashing hundreds of millions about.. the 'pool for me ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 11:56
..quite possibly, but i am not one of them...
 !!!!...33+ years a follower of Chelsea and still going strong, been with the team when relegated, promoted and relegated again..nothing diminshes at all for me...its my team through thick and thin.......i am not that interested in the 'politics' of sport to be honest, its there of course, in most sports, but i love the game, played it, brought up with it, and my allegience to my team is part of me and my background, and a big part of my small but perfectly formed English social circle!!!.....people can bang on about the 'rights' and wrongs' until their (Chelsea?) blue in the face, bleet away..... ..football is for enjoying and no bugger is going to ever spoil that for me!!!!.... ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 12:24
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Rooney out with another broken foot bone - he really needs to get stronger boots..Thats annoyed me, I know i 'support' Liverpool, but I think Man Utd are the most exciting looking this season, and was looking forward to seeing Rooney. Ah well. Crouchy will have to do. ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 12:42
..i agree about Rooney's boots!!!...broken toes/ankles/etc have always been around but it does appear to be on the increase?..well, with Wayne it does....unfortunate for Man Utd, but they will have Tevez, but even more unfortunate for the England squad..
.....have soft spot for Peter Crouch which has everything to do with his appearance and nothing to do with football!!!..  ....still, if Torres lives up to his potential and avoids the 'Shevchenko Syndrome' then you should expect some exciting stuff from the new boy...btw...Gerrard's free-kick goal at the weekend was a cracker, inch perfect, that lad knows how to come up with the goods when needed...great goal... Liverpool will be up there at the top (according to my 3 Liverpool mates!!!)...------------- |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 12:43
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I heard the world best keeper made a minor mistake?
Arsenal could be champion, if the only hadn't Jens L. -------------
http://imageshack.us">
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 12:48
..yes indeed, it certainly was a bad slip up..after 57 seconds of the kick-off.....i felt embarassed for him..  ...he's known for these type of mistakes, and in front of all those people!!!.....that would crush me forever, i would have to go into hiding...or at least join West Ham....------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 15:52
Elano could be for Man city what Diego was for Werder Bremen last season. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Ovidius
Date Posted: 13-Aug-2007 at 23:12
To be honest, Torres is completely different. Torres is a awesome player with bagloads of potential. Shev was just an old player, over rated and over valued, it was no suprise that he couldn't cut it.
Elano is ok, I'm not that convinced by him though - his main football experience is Shaktar Donetsk and he was never impressive for Brazil. Rolando Bianchi is one to watch though. He scored more goals than Mutu and Toni in Seria A last year... for a fairly average side. But no one wants them to do well - Sven Sven Sven! |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Aug-2007 at 17:01
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..hello again...
...Chelsea and Man Utd both played games tonight...
...After being 1-0 down for the first half away to Reading, Chelsea took back the lead with two second half goals, the first by Frank Lampard and the second, by Drogba....final score 1-2 to Chelsea...
..did not see any of the actual games, but from what i gather Man Utd were 1-0 up against Portsmouth for the majority of their game, but it seems Pompey pulled one back...final score 1-1....
..Sven's men at Man City also won 1-0!!!.....i have one Manchester City fan for a mate, and he's dancing on the ceiling!!!..he can't wait for the Manchester derby!!!!!! ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 16-Aug-2007 at 04:16
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Frickin Chelsea won again, and barely a new player in sight...
Man Utd should have won, they were taking shots at will in the second half, but didn't find the net, so tough!
Ovidius, Shevchenko wasn't over-rated, look at his international, champions league and domestic scoring record. For years he was a machine in Italy, best player the world too once or twice. He just didn't like Chelsea's style, had lost a bit of pace, and found it hard to adapt to the much tighter English League.
I personally dont think Arsenal have a chance, Liverpool will push for second with Chelsea, and United will take it. But I'm willing to swap Liverpool with United any time ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 19-Aug-2007 at 13:33
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...Chelsea were fortunate to come away from Anfield today with a point after we were given a (admittedly dodgy) penalty decision....it was Liverpools game and they dominated the first half and went ahead with a Torres goal, the second half was scratchy and scrappy, Chelsea had their chances but were pretty poor today....
 ..so 1-1, still, a points a point and contentious decisions seem to be still part of the game.....on a brighter note, Man Utd lost in the Mancester derby today!!!...
...1-0!!..my Man City mate was dancing on the ceiling but i have lost him, i believe he was spotted somewhere on some cumulus nimbus.... ------------- |
Posted By: Majkes
Date Posted: 19-Aug-2007 at 16:38
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Wonder what Murinho was saying after the game. Was he bashing a judge for judging against Chelsea?
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 20-Aug-2007 at 07:51
..yeah, there is really no defence for awarding the penalty decision, it was poor..but being a Chelsea supporter i sit awkwardly on a rickety old fence!!!...its happened to Chelsea many times although for the sake of fairness, i would like, in an ideal world, such poor refereeing to be eradicated, which would probably be impossible, and then all teams will benefit..all the while there is no technology in place, then these things are going to happen...
..apparently, the referee in question will be dropped as an official for next weekends Premiership games... ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 20-Aug-2007 at 11:24
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It was a disastrous decision but in fairness Liverpool can't complain. The same referee gave them an equally dodgy penalty last year which won them the match and last week they got another dodgy free kick that they scored their winning goal from and against Chelsea in the Champions League they were given a goal that wasn't a goal at all. I know its a cliche but these things tend to even themselves out over the season. And anyway if things like this didn't happen we'd have nothing to talk about half the time! The one in the Fulham game were the ball crossed the line was probably worse imo, I'd say the linesman just completely bottled out on making the call. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 20-Aug-2007 at 13:27
..how true!!!...
....i did not see the disallowed Fulham goal, i missed the game highlights, but from what i gather, the 'goal' was in the dying minutes and would have salvaged a point for Fulham..... i think the linesman involved has also been suspended from next weeks games....ah...controversy in football eh?... ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 20-Aug-2007 at 16:36
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Ye it would have got Fulham a draw. It was clearly over the line the only thing in the linesman favour was that the Goalie caught the ball and threw it out fairly quickly but SKY did their thing where the computerize the footage and showed it from the linesman's position and there was no doubt that he should have seen it. I think for things like that, where the decision is black and white was it a goal or was it not a goal, that some form of technology should be used be it a video replay or balls with computer chips. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Perun
Date Posted: 21-Aug-2007 at 08:28
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Manchester United had a really poor start. They have problems with injuries, but at the other hand more was expected from Hargraves, Nani and Tevez...
Liverpool looks strong, and Chelsea seems to me more confident than in last season...I think they gained a lot with Ben Haim, Malouda and Pizzaro. ------------- Gromovnik |
Posted By: Ovidius
Date Posted: 21-Aug-2007 at 16:58
According to the london paper, Rob Styles is on the Board of a company that Surfaced Mr Abramovich's driveway! I smell something rotten! :) Anyhow, bad decisions happen all the time hehehe. The Gerard one last year was funny too! As for the season "so far", I think Liverpool have been, by far, the most promising team. They have shown some real skill, good goals and played with passion. Chelsea, as always, have been blatently average with most players underachieving. Man Utd have played extremely well, but have been fairly unlucky. Man City have looked pretty awesome too though. They could do really well this year. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 25-Aug-2007 at 14:10
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...well, another weekend of Premiership football, and Chelsea go top of the league table
 with a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth who certainly made a good game of it, both teams had plenty of chances to score more goals, but Chelsea finally saw victory at the final whistle.....and before Ovidius gets here, yes, Chelsea were dull, missed opportunities, played badly, underachieved, were lucky, paid for the goal, bribed the officials, bugged the Pompey dressing room, flew unauthorised bomber missions over the Portsmouth team bus, and were generally all round stinkers!!!!!!..there, will save you posting!!!!..
 ..still, i think Man Utd will probably hit their expected form tommorrow where i feel they may give Spurs a pretty good thumping... ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 04:31
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what a goal by anderson..or was it nani? one of them anyway buried it..Martin Jol is in big trouble already ------------- |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 05:56
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I think this year will be Chelsea's year again. They look like they are going to go through the year winning games by goals scored in the last ten minutes or so... ManU and Liverpool will fight for second, Arsenal fifth of maybe even sixth and I think a surprise package maybe in fourth (Maybe City if they buy even more players in January) Arsenal seem to be in a rut at the moment, they have some real quality but aren't bringing in enough of it. Dein left the club, Wenger is losing confidance, Henry left and they have no adequate replacement... Last season when Henry was playing well is a testament of how important he was to them ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 06:42
..i belive it was Nani that scored Utd's winning goal, did not see it, but was informed it was a decent effort...
..also...SHOCK...HORROR..
...rumours persist that Ronaldinho is being tempted to join Chelsea after a poor start with Barca this season...apparently, reports suggest the 'man that sparkles' might conclude a deal by this coming Friday before the transfer deadline window closes??????......this will add fuel to Chelsea critics, apparently, there is a £85 million 'buy-out' clause in his current contract....would Abramovich pay that????..lets wait and see....afterall, its only rumours and footballing gossip eh? ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 06:57
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Ronaldinho's not worth a penny more than £25 million, and if anyone pays more, they are plain stupid. ------------- |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 07:14
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ROnaldhino is worth plenty of money, far more than 25 Million. Why if this was Footie Manager 2007, I'd pay 100 million for him! ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 07:22
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But it's not, so he isn't. He's losing his pace, didnt show up at two world cups, and is 30 in a year and a half. No more than £25 million.. ------------- |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 07:24
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nah, your seriously wrong hi ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 09:23
Neither Anderson or Nani scored it was Tevez Chelsea got another hard fought win but once Lampard scores I don't mind have him on my dream team. I do hope Ronaldinho DOES NOT go to Chelsea it just wouldn't be fair.  Although I could see him struggling if he does go. I don't think Chelsea would suit his style of play.It's funny that Riquelme is reportedly available at only a fraction of the price it would take to get Ronaldinho but no premier league team have been serioudsly linked to him. He's a player I'd like to see but could struggle too if he didn't go to the right team. Arsenal had a good win too. They must be only team in the league capable of playing without centre backs. Fabregas was pure class! They will do well this year if van Persie can keep the scoring up. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 09:37
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Tevez definitely didnt score, I know that for a fact. i Think it was nani..Hold on...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6952885.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6952885.stm
Yeah, Nani...an what a strike!
Edit: oh it took a deflection, I get ya now... ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 09:45
 If it hadn't hit Tevez Robinson had it. It would have been quite an easy one actually for Robinson only for Tevez. Ferguson even said it was probably Tevez's goal after the match. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 09:52
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Thanks for the clap..I love the feel of patronisation in the afternoon.
Still Nani's goal though, forever and ever more ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 13:47
 For someone who comes to a discussion board you seem to have an awful reticence towards actually discussing things.Anywho my point was that the ball hit Tevez quite clearly. Ferguson said after the match that the goal was probably Tevez's because his was the decisive touch. This is, naturally enough, a talking point from the match yesterday, something to be discussed maybe? Ashley Young's goal against Fulham was another similar talking point except his was more of a cross than a shot and it wasn't directly on target, so it would appear more clear cut. Personally I think both goals should be credited to the "deflectors". Usually in cases like Young's though the decision goes to a committee to decide. This might happen for Tevez because he may be in the running for the golden boot at the end of the season. On another note, poor old Fulham got screwed by the officials again this week. Should have had a penalty and Villa's winner was offside. However Villa did have a perfectly alright goal ruled out too and probably deserved to win overall but if I was a Fulham supporter I would wonder what the club did to tick off the officials so much..  ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 14:24
..yeah, even as a Chelsea supporter, i am in two minds about Ronnie's ability to fit in at Chelsea, he's a great player for sure, and there is part of me that would love to see him in the Premiership and in a blue Chelsea shirt!!!...but there is a nagging doubt as to how he would be able to perform, i still think many foreign players have trouble adpating to the 'physical' side of the English game, some do but some most certainly do not and i am not where Ronnie would be, the do's or the don't's....
...he could fit in the current Chelsea team, by having a free-role behind Drogba with the side playing effectively a 4-4-1-1 line up, with Drogs up on his own, a lone striker, which is pretty much what the big man's been doing for the past two seasons anyway....still, at the end of the day, it is a huge 'if' whether Ronaldinho will sign for Chelsea, my heart says yes, but my head says probably not.... ------------- |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 14:50
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Yeah I agree 100%. When I think of Ronaldinho in the Premiership I get flashbacks of Veron at Utd, I would hate to see him go that way, as he is one of my favourite players at the moment and I kinda have a soft spot for Barca too, wouldn't want them to lose their best player... Also think the signing would be more of an Abramovich one than a Mourinho one. Ronaldinho just doesn't fit the mourinho mould. I don't think they will sign him either to be honest. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 02-Sep-2007 at 13:47
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..whoops-a-daisy...
...Man Utd won this weekend, so did Arsenal and Liverpool gave Derby a thumping, winning 6-0....and....Chelsea lost 2-0 against a defensively determined Aston Villa, Chelsea had the majority of the better play, the most possession, but failed to hit the net, and to be honest failed to produce any clear-cut chances...
 but Villa did to us what Chelsea have done to others, their finishing was much better, and hence the two goals which was pretty much the sum total of Villa's attacking efforts.......it was a good game though if you were unbiased, but extremely disappointing for me...even Uncle Roman seemed to storm off with a worrying scowl on his face after the second goal....oh well, Blackburn next followed by an away match against Man Utd!!!! ------------- |
Posted By: Ovidius
Date Posted: 02-Sep-2007 at 18:44
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Its interesting, Liverpool could really be the winners this season, they are playing some pretty good football. Chelski, nevermind... bound to lose sometime, you can't always get the ref on the payroll! They didn't really play well, merely played better than they have done before. Their approach play look pretty good, but really, they need to get their arses in gear. man u back on track, heh. But one injury to a striker and its pretty much over for them. My money for this season really has to be on Liverpool. the more it goes on, the more interesting it could be! |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 03-Sep-2007 at 07:51
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Hehe... as a nominal follower of Aston Villa I have to say I'm delighted. Villa defended heroically and tried to hit Chelsea on the counterattack, Chelsea lacked ideas and failed to create any chances...all in all it was a perfectly executed game plan from Villa. Arsenal also looked good this weekend, Fabregas looked brilliant again. I know its too early to say but if Arsenal keep up this form they will push the others close at the end of the season. I wouldn't look too much into Liverpool's result either. Derby are the worst team to play in the premiership since Sunderland a couple of years ago. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 03-Sep-2007 at 12:30
..yes, well, according to a couple of Liver birds i know, they are definately going to lift the League Trophy...!!..the bets are still on...
..thats probably why Roman stormed off, this ref is for Siberia...
..yep, would have to agree, would be nice to get out of fourth gear. ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 10:47
You can't possibly be serious when comparing Ronaldinho to Veron. It's more like comparing John Coltrane to Kenny G. I mean you sound like those Argentinian generals who thought beatings up peasants and students in the streets of Buenos Aires will give them enough battle experience to go up against the Brits in the Falkland War. Delusional! ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 11:45
...Hello KK of MU, to be fair, i do not think that is what Fodhla meant..i believe Fodhla was saying he hoped that given the brilliance of Ronaldinho, such a star player would not end up failing in the Premiership along the lines of what happened to Veron after all the expectation that was heaped upon him when he arrived at Man Utd.....i do not think there was a direct 'football skill' comparison between the two players...
...anyway, Ronnie's not been signed by Chelsea and its pure speculation, that is, until the January transfer window opens!!!!!.... ------------- |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 11:50
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He won't go to Chelsea, but then of course what the hell do I know? ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Sep-2007 at 16:18
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...bad day at the office for Liverpool and Chelsea who both drew their games 0-0 at the weekend....Mourinho threw a wobbly after having a perfectly good goal ruled as offside, and subsequently took his frustration out on a laptop computer screen by the looks of it..!!..still, it was a goal, but then again, some may argue (Ovidius??
) that these things have a way of balancing out as we (Chelsea) gained a point at the Liverpool game for a dodgy penalty decision and then lost a potential 3 points with a bad offside ruling against Blackburn..........Manure scraped a 1-0 win with a grinding performance and the Arse went storming to the top of the Premiership with a brilliant display of second-half football winning 3-1 against Spurs (and probably banging another nail in Martin Jols coffin at the same time)...swines!!!.....
..bad news for the England squad as Emile Heskey was taken off with yet another broken toe..what is it about dodgy toes and England????
..but, Chelsea v Man Utd this coming weekend.... ...------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 19-Sep-2007 at 11:30
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Arsenal and Man City at the top. Who knew? I did. Well, actually it surprises me too a little. I knew Chelsea will struggle. Man Utd's struggle after Rooney's injury is not that surprising. But it is still too early and if I have to put my money down, I would put it on Liverpool. Torres is much better player than I thought he would be for them and I like Voronin and Benayoun a lot too. Mascherano has been a monster. What can you say about Wenger? I just can't wait until he can work with more competitive budget in EPL but then again, does he need to? I've heard about Deco might be end up in EPL. Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle are interested and Liverpool is willing to give up cash and Xavi Alonso or Sissoko for him. It will be a huge mistake for Barca and the beginning of downfall of the new Galacticos just like the old Galacticos letting go of Makalele. But if it happens I like to see Deco in Man City rather than Liverpool or Newcastle. I would love to see him playing next to Elano and Petrov or Giovanni. And how about that young Kesper? He's been lucky many times but good enough to be lucky. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 23-Sep-2007 at 13:57
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...oh dear oh dear....as a Chelsea fan it has been a pretty dismal few days..not only have we lost the 'special one'...
....we then go and get beaten my Man Utd...although i did not see this game, conceding 2 goals, getting a red card for Obi and a last minute penalty looks like we were well stuffed by the boys in red.......and to cap it all, my most disliked team Arsenal go and thump Derby 5-0 and slink their way on top and stay there.... ........however, you can put the sympathy on hold, my heart maybe down right now, but my soul is forever blue, through thick and thin..altogether now...aaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........nothing like a bit of adversity to lift the sagging spirits!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... ....------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 24-Sep-2007 at 12:18
That red card for Mikel was very questionable, especially that early in the game. If any one should have been kicked out the game it should've been Joe Cole. Man Utd is looking better every week, Rooney's back and Tevez finally popped the cherry. I think Saha should be starting instead of Tevez though. Sheva looked alright as the lone striker. They say Abramovich will partake on match day roster selection. I guess he has as much credentials as Avram Grant. Liverpool struggled against Birmingham. Black Sabbath vs the Beatles? Liverpool now 4 points behind the leader Arsenal after 6 matches for both. Arsenal looked great though it was against Derby County. AdebayorHenrywho? I've heard there will be more investments going into Arsenal. Wenger's gonna have more resources? It'll be scary. Pound for pound, Wenger gets more out his players than any coach in EPL or anywhere else. Watched a full Fulham match for the first time because they played Man City. The game of the week!, 3:3, almost made me forget to watch Barcelona vs Sevilla. Petrov and Elano are out of this world. Man City is one stud striker away from seriously contending EPL. I don't think Mpenza or Bianchi is good enough if they were to compete witha elite teams. Fulham played great themselves to tie obviously. Good to see Seol Ki Hyeon making an impact for his new team already. He batted down the long goal kick to drop it right in front of Murphy running in. He should start for this very MLS looking squad. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24-Sep-2007 at 13:03
...brilliant!!!....love it!!!..i will go with Black Sabbath anyday, great analogy!!!..Beatles??...pah...over-rated....
..i read that Chelsea are going to appeal against Mikel's red card, have seen the tackle now....mmmm....maybe a yellow was more justified, but have to agree that Joe Cole's tackle was more serious, but then again, Rooney should have had two yellow cards and been sent off himself??..
..yes, Grant's credentials are a bit iffy....although i must say, he does strike quite a menacing look....just hope he has the character to back it up....sad to see Jose go from the Premiership and it is a great loss to Chelsea, but i have a sneaking suspicion that Mr Grant might do ok........
...then again, the great Marco van Basten was in the crowd on Sunday?????..------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 24-Sep-2007 at 16:00
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^^^ I'm glad you liked my Black Sabbath vs Beatles comment. I saw little bit of doc of Heavy Metal mentioning how Black Sabbath came about from Birmingham. It said that the day Tony Iommi accidentally cut off two of his fretting finger tips working on a industrial metal sheet cutter was the day Heavy Metal was born in 1966(and it had to be 1966 too, hasn't it). Subsequently, he made two prosthetic finger tips himself out of leather so he can play. Many say this affected the tonal quality of his guitar to fuzzy, dark and heavy. Who's the real Working Class Hero now, you Liverpool Art College brats! I actually respect Lennon a lot but that's more so as a poet and political activist. For me the biggest contrast between two of them is Bill Ward vs Ringo. Woo, even better Cozy Powell vs Pete Best? Okay, that's just downright cruel. I can't stand Sir McCartney though. What was that Liverpool Oratorio? What a poser @$$ crock! Stick to what you know sir, Skiffle and Englebert Humperdinck! I'm actually huge King Crimson fan myself. I was crimming in my shorts when they came back in late 90's. Genesis before Peter Gabriel left was great, too. Also Camel, the band Bill Ward's younger brother played drums on. On a softer but haunting English side, Nick Drake. Back to football, I did see Van Basten's face in the crowd. What a legend! Forget coaching, he should just suit up and play again. I like to see him keep working with young Dutch players like Van Persie, Van der Vaart, Robben, Sneijder, Drenthe, Huntelaar, Venegoor of Hasselink(get this guy out Scotland first), but if Chelsea wants that attacking football, he just might be the man. It's will be interesting to see Van Basten vs RijKaard in Champs League. Koeman and Guulit's been coaching too. On Mourinho, I would love him to get Raineri fired again for Juve job this time. If not maybe Lyon. I know he probably wouldn't go to French League but but Lyon has been one of the best team in Europe for past several years. They just lost their coach, yes Houllier, also. And Mourinho already coached so many ex-Lyon players lik Essien, Malouda, Kalou. I think he can succeed right away in either in Juve or Lyon. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24-Sep-2007 at 17:20
..actually the mighty Sabbaff are my favourite band of all time, and i have seen various incarnations of the group many times over the years!!!...Iommi also was left handed which made his achievement even more so, especially when you think he cannot actually feel the guitar strings under those damaged fingers....yeah, Bill Ward, a whopping great big tub thumper, the sounds of industrial Birmingham recreated on the drum skins!!!..great band...
..oh yeah, football...van Basten for Chelsea would be a great move for Chelsea i think, i am a fan of that kind of Dutch football.....Chelsea will survive all this upset, and it is an upset for the fans...would hate to have the team guided from the board-room.....we need another personality who will lift the team to fufill its potential, and more importantly now, to lay the ghost of Jose to rest, i liked JM and his shoes will be hard to follow.....good luck to the man, but Chelsea must move on....
------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 01-Oct-2007 at 17:42
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Chelsea struggled against Fulham. Their lineup was the most retarded line I've ever seen. I was like Makalele with five forwards. Drogba, Sheva, Kalou, Joe Cole and Sidwell, none of them are really a central midfielder, not to mention defensive central midfielder, are they? Just because you put in more forwards doesn't mean that you are gonna play more attacking game. You need players that are more used to chase down the ball, create turn overs and turn that into offensive opportunities. It's like watching Oliver Twist, 5 orphans waiting in line for the ball to be served, '...food glorious food!...'. Ok, Mikel was probably out for that red card from Man Utd game. You might consider resting either Lampard or Essien for the midweek Champs League match against Valencia, but not BOTH! Even then, where were Shawn Wright Phillips and Ballack? Were they all hurt? That has to be the only feasible explanation. Malouda also should have started but when they subbed him in it was for Ashley Cole who would've been the most capable provider on the field at the time. Let's say Drogba, Sheva, and Joe Cole can play effectively together as two forwards and a winger(which is a bit of stretch in itself), you don't add two more forward/winger type players after that. They might as well have Cudicini playing next to Makalele. Makalele is one of most capable player in almost every aspect of the game but he ain't no Superman. If I was gonna give Avram Grant any benefit of doubt, I can't see the benefit, only the confirmation of the doubt. I understand that the departure of Mourinho was more of a philosophical shift towards the attacking football and Avram wants to put his imprints on the team as fast and dramatic as possible. And I was one of the harshest critic of Mourinho' Chelsea for his tight and effective but boring style but just loading up with people who can shoot doesn't make it an attacking football. It's like driving range for soccer balls. I just think that Chelsea is talented enough where they can still play different style of game without make huge line up changes. At this point, it's probably better for them to hit the rock bottom so they would call for even more drastic changes, starting at the top. Arsenal racked up another win over Wast Ham. Ljungberg scored a tying goal against his former club but got disallowed. Not the most impressive win but a win is still a win. Benayoun saves the day for Liverpool against Wigan. I remember this kid from the Espanol days. Him and Tamudo an De la Pena used to harass the big clubs like Real and Barca all the time, especially the city rivalry(?), Barca. Liverpool struggled for their standard but Benitez must be happy to see different players stepping up for different games, a sign of depth. Man Utd also struggled against, yes Birmingham. Or I could say Birmingham played another outstanding game against another elite team two weeks in a row. Can they be this year's Reading? And then there is my favorite subject in EPL this year, Man City. I think Newcastle has that perennial 5th place team complex. Too bad, I see least 5 teams that are clearly better than them including Man City who is a serious Champs League spot contender. Petrov, Mpenza and Elano scored for Man City. You know who Petrov reminds me of? I think he's Bulgarian Ryan Giggs. Bullgiggs, if you will. Their faces even look similar, and also similar physique, skill sets, work rate, and attitudes. Best part of the game was when Nicky Butt fouled Elano and tried to give him an elbow afterwards. Elano gives Butt a dirty look and then turned the free kick into 35-40m Roberto Calos-esque rocket. Note to EPL, don't piss off Elano. Sven is comparing Elano to Roberto Baggio. Baggio must be flattered, well he should be. Of course, I've been following Elano from his Santos days in Brazil. He was actually their striker before young Robinho, Diego got there. With Oliveira and Renato also added he got pushed all the way back to central defensive midfield, of course that position has different nuiances in Brazil, but still. So this guy can play any front 5-6 positions. He can pass, shoot, dribble and defend in style. What else do you need? The day he landed in Man City, they became my favorite EPL team. I can't wait until Man Utd gets Park Ji Sung back in February, who is my favorite Korean player. I can't say he's comparable to Elano but he works so hard(Three Lung Ji Sung) and it could be the battle of skills vs stamina in the midfield. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 01-Oct-2007 at 18:08
..hmmm...not sure i could really add to that, have to agree with most of your points there...although Sheva looked more dismal than you generously suggested, he really looks like he has lost his legs completely and his previous masterly touch has all but gone up in smoke...i was one who was willing to overlook the initial faults and put it down to 'settling in', but it seems now that the man's skill has just 'gone' and i cannot make any excuses for him...what on earth has gone wrong for him???...damn bloody shame, because he was one of my fav players of all time...at a stretch, Joe Cole could play in the central midfield but only if Wright-Philips could play on the right wing and Ashely Cole was allowed more freedom to roam up front on the left wing, and to be fair to Mr Grant, he does appear to be letting him play a more attacking role, but the team is let down by mediocre displays up front..it does not really matter who is crossing in the balls if no bugger can put the ball in the net.....
..oh well though....not doom and gloom yet (apart from Avram's facial expressions), but things have certainly moved backwards, its not over yet, and i am sure Chelsea will pull a trophy out of the bag by the end of the season, but it may take yet another season for Chelsea to establish the credible form needed to be 'up there' in the Champions League fraternity.... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 03-Oct-2007 at 21:41
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The only feasible explanation was actually the right explanation. Just saw it in Sky Sports reports that Lampard, Essien, Ballack and Shawn Wright Phillips were out with injuries for that game. So I can't be that harsh on Avram though he still should have started Malouda for that game.
------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 09-Oct-2007 at 21:45
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Both Liverpool and Chelsea struggled but escaped with win. Good to see Lampard back though. Sidwell and Kalou contributed. See what happens when they are playing their natural positions. With Lampard, Makalele, Malouda solidifying the midfield, they just need Drogba, Essien, Shawn Wright Phillips healthy and they will be back on their usual form. Considering what's been going on past month or so, I think Chelsea have weathered the storm and starting to right the ship with fairly minimal damage. Fernando Torres saved Liverpool with 90th min header. I wanna see more of Benayoun and Sissoko over Pennant and Babel. Also Voronin over Kuyt. I would go with Torres, Voronin, Benayoun, Gerrad, Sissoko, Xabi Alonso with Macherano dropping back to central defense or right back. Tevez is finally making his impact on Man Utd's attack. Anderson also played great game. Nani might have better striking ability but I prefer Anderson'a vision from the midfield. Just like Chelsea Man Utd doesn't need more striking ability on the field. Rooney and Tevez are very similar, strong, wide shouldered, low gravity hard workers. Nani and C. Ronaldo are similar, lengthy, silky, dribbler, snipers. Any three of the four combination would be fine but not all four on the field. Plus when Saha is healthy he should be a starter also. I would go with Saha, Rooney, C. Ronaldo, Anderson, but that's just me. Elano blasted two more bombs this week. Sven said Elano is actually getting fitter and stronger since he arrived in EPL, hitting the gym for physical EPL style. That's scary. You can't call this Brazilian melodramatic fragile showoff. Watching Adebayor and Van Persie together I can't help thinking where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, young Henry and Bergkemp together? Arsenal is so good that Gilberto Silva can't make the starting lineup. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 20-Oct-2007 at 19:06
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...another win for my team Chelsea this weekend....
 ...2-0 against Middlesbrough...not really a bad start for Mr Grant and Co...four away wins i think?...cannot really argue with that, although Drogba's recent outburst in a French football magazine should get a few pigeons flapping.....apparently Did's always wanted to leave Chelsea from the moment he arrived??..must have been lost in the translation then... ...."we wuz robbed"..came the cry from Everton fans...watched their game against Liverpool who eventually beat Everton 2-1.....however, it was yet another dire display in poor refereeing.....Sammy Hypia had put Everton ahead after a quite brilliant touch into his own goal.....but the scousers came back with a penalty after Gerrard was pulled back in the penalty area..it was a penalty and the Everton player was sent off...up steps Kuyt and pops the ball away......Liverpool were to get another penalty after Neville handled the ball while trying to do an impression of his teams goalkeper goalkeeper...up steps Kuyt again....duly puts the ball in the back of the net.....however, if you had seen the two-footed tackle that Kuyt had attempted earlier in the game, the man was extremely lucky to even be on the pitch to put the penalties away!!!....i don't think he was deliberately intent on breaking someones bones but his flying acrobatic leap in the air, akin to some martial arts expert must surely have warranted a red card for dangerous play....Eric 'kung fu' Cantona did more or less the same thing moons ago, albeit to a fan in the stands, but was heavily punished....Kuyt's may not have had the same ferocity but..well..you just had to see it really....
 .....to cap it all, an Everton player was pulled back in the Liverpool penalty area right in front of the referee in the last minute of the game, which could have salvaged a 2-2 draw if a the correct decison was made, but the ref waved away the penalty which should have been!!!!.......the Arse dragged themselves out of a potential draw with Bolton with yet another masterclass of attacking football in the last 20 minutes of their game winning 2-0...
 .......as i write, Manure are putting Aston Villa soundly to bed with a current thrashing of 4-1..... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 22-Oct-2007 at 19:56
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Good win for Chelsea indeed. Healthy Lampard and Essien makes huge difference. The lineup is now more similar to what Mourinho would put out. Ferreira on leftback was bit shaky but I would still have him out there than Ben Haim if Ashley Cole is not available. Belletti was underused in offensive end but he did his job in defensive end. Alex and Carvalho looked good together allowing Carvalho to push forward at times. Good to see Alex scoring that second goal off the free kick though it was rickashaded twice. Alex was known for having even longer range than his countryman Roberto Carlos. Cate must know this from watching him in Dutch league. He's legit threat from 45m +. Only criticism I would give is they looked little cramped in the central midfield which was actually their strength. That's why I think utilizing Shawn Wright Phillips and Ashley Cole into their offense is the key to having more balanced offense. Both Liverpool and Man Utd got lucky with playing two men advantages. Liverpool has golden chance to turn the team around against Arsenal next week but with 6 points behind the pressure is on Liverpool not Arsenal. Van Persie is out for 6 weeks from the injury he suffered from playing for the Dutch nat. in mid week Euro qualifier. Losing a plyer of that caliber always hurts the team but I think they can manage. Walcott actually played a good game in his shoes. They can move up Rosicky and use da Silva also. Fabregas has been scoring more this season too. Birmingham played another tough game against a good team but my boy Elano saved Man City again. I know you guys are probably getting tired of me raving about Elano by now, but how could I not. If it keeps this way and Man City end up in a Champs League spot, Elano should get not only the newcomer of the year but he should also get the player of the year consideration in EPL. Only thing worries me about them is that they are still thin compare to other top level EPL teams. A big injury from one of their key players like Elano, Petrov or Richards would hurt this team more than Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd or Arsenal losing a star player. If you are a midlevel team making a push towards the top level, not only you gotta play great but you also have stay healthy for the whole season which is not easy in EPL. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 29-Oct-2007 at 18:19
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....Party Time at the weekend!!!!!.....Chelsea 6-Man City-0.....
 ....yet another feather in Mr Grants hat...this chap is not doing so badly is he???...
..a draw between Liverpool and Arsenal helps my team out a bit...but Man Utd storm on with another 4 goals..i think that is 16 goals in four games.....
......and who'd of thought Spurs would be nestled in the bottom three this season.....mind you, Martin Jol has been a marked man for some time now.... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 29-Oct-2007 at 19:44
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Congtrats to Chelsea and Act of Oblivion. I thought Man City would have a punchers chance but it seems there are lot of work ahead for them to really compete with the top four. Man City came out strong and they could have went one up in first 15 mins. But Chelsea's strength their central midfield smothered Man City's strength my boy Elano all day long. Man City is still a two men team of Elano and Petrov. If you cut off their interaction rest of the team is might as well be Derby County. In order for them to really challenge the top four, they need a proven striker and descent holding midfielder. Maybe a wingback with some attacking skills too. So I hear Chelsea never netted 6 times in a game under Mourinho. I don't want to take anything away from Chelsea's performance but Schmeichel wasn't the keeper and Man City didn't fold like most teams would when they go three goals behind. They still tried to score but it spread them out even thinner. Arsenal should have beat Liverpool in Anfield. Both team could have scored more but Fabregas hit the post twice. Torres is out for three weeks, the only bright spot for Liverpool this season. Man Utd's high scoring isn't that surprising considering they are starting 4 forwards with Anderson. Partially because Scholey is hurt but it just shows how versatile Anderson can be. I'm still not a big fan of Nani but that boy can shoot some cannons. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 12-Mar-2008 at 23:01
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Big win for Chelsea tonight 6-1 against hapless Derby who are dead certs at this stage to go down. Arsenal still looking pretty on top even if both Chelsea and Man Utd have games in hand. Fabregas has been sensational this season must be in the running for player of the season. It's going to be an interesting end to the season - one of the closest title races in years and a number of teams could still get sucked into the relegation. Exciting stuff. ------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Mar-2008 at 18:19
..yes indeed that was a pretty decent win for my team Chelsea, although, in truth, Derby were appalling and their manager agrees ...not sure if we can catch Arsenal or Man Utd, its very possible but Chelsea have been a bit up and down recently, being knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley has been the low point although Barnsley deserved to win and played so much better than some of the pampered 'stars' who ambled out for Chelsea...our progress in the Champions league looks more positive, what with four English teams in the running, however, i wil keep my fingers crossed for the premiership title but i think we will need to beat Arsenal and Man Utd when we face them in the later stages of the season to have any chance.......------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 24-Mar-2008 at 20:58
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Chelsea beat Arsenal and Man U beat Liverpool yesterday. What a day, what a day...... Chelsea's midfield just manhandled Arsenal's. Makalele is still the best in his position. I still can't get over that Madrid let him go and got Beckham. Even Ballack and Jole Cole were defending hard for Chalsea. I liked Essien on right back also but it worked even better when they moved him up. Substitutions were amazing but the ones got subbed out played great also, just change of tactic according to the score and the flow of the game for that moment. Also bringing in the fresh legs. And Drogba! He was just simply monster in the second half. Even though Arsenal scored first, they had nothing going through their oh so intricate midfield. It seemed though they were gonna still one for a second but the subs changed the game. I can't believe I'm saying this but Wenger got outcoached by Grant! Wenger can cry about a offside but Chelsea took their game to them and Arsenal had nothing going other than Sagna's header. Yes, that could have been a designed play but that's not Arsenal playing their game. Van Persie was terrible and Hleb was swimmng in the middle. Fabregas looked like a dancer in a Rugby game. When Chelsea went ahead, I would have brought in Sendros to Push up Eboue just like Chelsea did with Essien. Walcott was trying but Bendter and Diaby was useless. Sometimes you bolster the front by adding on the back. They had no wing play, left or right. Eboue was stuffed in the back all day. Why not take a jab with Eboue? Nothing else was working. Congrats for Act of Oblivion! Chelsea has the easiest schedule remaining out of the top 4 teams including the home game vs Man U. I say it ain't over until Rosie O'donell sings. Didn't get to see Man U game. Saw the highlights and Macherano's red card seemed little harsh. I never like either Kuyt or Babel, they should have started Benayoun. What's up with not starting Riise and Hyypia? ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 24-Mar-2008 at 21:15
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...Hello KK of Mu and welcome back to this thread, apart from my very occasional ramblings, the thread almost dies...!!!..your reflections and opinions, not to mention your insight are most welcome...
..yes indeed, it was a good day for my team...i thought Chelsea and Arsenal were playing quite well right up to the first goal, both teams seemed evenly matched and the football, while not brilliant, was certainly up to the billing...i did think before the game that the match might end up being a drab, fizzled out draw...but like i said, once Sgana's goal went in, Chelsea seemed to lift up their game...
...i was caught out by Grant's substitutions having thought Ballack, and especially Mekelele were doing very well...seems Avram knew better than this arm-chair manager!!!....switching from 4-3-3 to the trusty 4-4-2 formation seemed to do the trick, and i think that your assesment of Arsenal after this change is right on the money, they seemed over-awed by a typical powerhouse Chelsea performance, but aided by some much needed tactical flair and consistency...this was one of the best performances i have seen from my team in a long while..not superb, but, justifiably good enough to beat an Arsenal team swimming with talent, it was exactly what was needed on the day...(shame we could not play like that against Barnsley in the Carling Cup!!
 )....and Drog's was great.....i hope he does not decide to leave at the end of the season.....thanks again for posting KK..all the best...
..AoO.. ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 25-Mar-2008 at 04:56
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Thanks, AoO. It's good to be back. I've so busy I actually haven't had time to watch too many games. I totally forgot about how Chelsea fans chanted 'Jose Mourinho' and 'You don't know what you're doing?' to Avram when he made the subs. I had my doubts at the moment also since Ballack and Makalele were big part of their midfield dominance. But which also meant they were working hard, giving everything they got. With a goal down, moving up Essien meant replacing Makalele with younger and bigger Makalele likes to attack more. Essien didn't have to spend much energy playing in right back because Van Persie was doing fine job defending himself. Belletti may not be the best defender on right back but neither is Ferreira. Belletti is fine attacking back though and has tendency to step up in a big game like Barca beat Arsenal in Champs League Final 2 seasons back. I might have taken out Kalou instead of Ballack for Anelka but like I said Ballack did more than what he was asked of already. The point wasn't about faulting the guys who were taken out. It was more of bringing in the fresh legs for the guys who worked extra hard. Only thing left me little curious is the status of Shawn Wright Phillips. Is he hurt? For me, he should be an everyday starter for Chelsea but could he have defended as well as Joe Cole and Ballack did? Let's face it, a player like him fits Arsenal's style better than Chelsea's. He's a kinda player who can remind Arsenal of their own style. And trust me, nobody in Arsenal could remind themselves how to play their style. That's how Chelsea won. They forced Arsenal to play Chelsea game. BTW Whatever happened to Man City? They should be the 5th. They are better than Everton and Portsmouth with or without Benjani. BBTW What happened to Leeds Utd? Alan Smith! Hate that guy. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 25-Mar-2008 at 10:42
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..hello again KK..
..from what i gather, Wright-Phillips is out injured with a bad ankle?..this would explain his absence from the Chelsea squad and also not being in Capello's named squad for the friendly against France this week...that is as much as i know right now.....it seemed to happen quielty which is a bit strange as Shaun has been a feature player this season and much improved from last year...shame...
.as for Man City..just seems like they have experienced a complete lack of form recently and went from Champions league or UEFA cup contenders to mid table middledom...i even caught some rumours that if City did not pick up, that Sven might have been for the chop???..however, i recall that Sven has asked for a significant amount of cash for new players next season which appears likely, and for now his job seems safe...i think maybe Man City are experiencing that 'end of season' malaise which effects teams like city in that the squad starts well while fit and able, but is not strong enough in depth to weather the final hurdles..injuries, lack of quality replacements/lack of season fitness towards the end etc etc...
...well, things are looking great for an end of the season finale regarding Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd....i knew we had to beat the Arse to stand a chance of regaining the premiership title, but we also need to beat Man Utd, and if Utd keep up their workrate, Chelsea will have to win every game right till the end....fingers crossed but i think it will be Utd who get the title, but hey, you never know!!!!!...
..btw...will be away from the forum for a few days, so if you post and i take a little longer than normal to reply, i am not being rude, i just have some other things i need to attend to first, i will be back here as soon as a can....until then...
..kind regards....AoO... ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21-Apr-2008 at 16:24
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..well, the big crunch game is fast approaching.....that is, Chelsea v Man Utd this coming Saturday which will probably either determine Utd's stranglehold on the Premiership title for yet another year or, i hope, providing Chelsea win, will allow a slight opening for the blues to steal the title away...
...Chelsea will have to win every game to the end of the season and Man Utd will have to drop points for this to happen...even if the blues reach equal points, Utd get the beers in for having a superior goal difference....its not totally unlikely though seeing as Utd could only manage a draw against Blackburn last weekend.....however, for most, it seems more likely that it will be Chelsea who will falter and thus leave the way for Manure to grab the Premier League trophy for this season...and if Chelsea really blow it, the Arsenal could sneak up and grab the second spot from us!!!!.......my fingers, legs and arms are crossed for my team Chelsea to do the honours!!!!!...
....mind you, there is the small matter of Chelsea playing Liverpool and Utd v Barca mid-week in the Champions League semi's!!!....could be in for a right interesting week in English football....
..all the best...AoO... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 21-Apr-2008 at 22:08
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I didn't get to see much EPL this week, saw some highlights though. Chelsea beat Everton as expected. Bolton did their part by taking 2 points away from Man Utd. Looking at the remaining schedule; Man Utd has Chelsea(away), West Ham(home), Wigan(away). Chelsea has Man Utd(home), New Castle(away), Bolton(home). Of course, the most important game is Chelsea vs Man Utd. As AoO mentioned Man Utd has the tie breaker, but if Chelsea wins that game and tie up the points, we don't know what might happen after that. Although I like New Castle little more this year with the addition of Geremi(I would kept him over Ferreira) and I always liked Martins since his Inter Milan days but I don't see New Castle standing up to a superior team. West Ham, however, I think has good chance turning it into least an emotional game against Man Utd. Not only it's Tevez's former team but also it was Tevez who scored that winning goal against Man Utd to keep them above the relegation after all that controversies surrounded him last year. Though, West Ham has faired well without Tevez and another whole season has gone by, West Ham has nothing else to play for except reliving the emotion of the game they had against Man Utd last season. It's a tall order though. Both Wigan and Bolton are seemingly easier tasks than New Castle and West Ham, but Bolton tied Man Utd this week and Wigan tied Chelsea last week. So nothing is garrunteed. I'm not saying any of these four teams will make a difference. I'm just saying watch out for West Ham. If not, Chelsea can always beat Man Utd, 19:0. I got to see little bit of Man City vs Portsmouth. Good to see Benjani restraining from celebrating after scoring against his former team. I know that happens quite often actually but it's always refreshing to see a good sportsmanship. I've heard more rumors on Sven getting axed. I'm all for it. I give Sven credit for recognizing Elano and Petrov's talent from the beginning but he acted like he didn't know what to do with the treasures he stumbled upon. This team should be right behind the top four. Hey AoO, are you hearing more of that Hiddink to Chelsea talk over there? If Russia didn't make it to the Euro Cup, I would say Chelsea has good chance landing him. Either way Abramovish is the one who's signing his cheque, so who know? That is of course not to take anything away from Avram because he did better than anybody expected him to do. He still has shot at EPL and Champs League this late in the season. How many managers can say that? Especially if he beats Liverpool in Semi, not even 'the Special One' has that on his resume. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21-Apr-2008 at 22:47
..
 ..well, would'nt that be a nice thing to happen!!!!!.........as for Guus becoming the next Chelsea manager..rumours are abound but only today, his agent stated quite categorically that he would be seeing out the remainder of his Russia contract which i believe ends in 2010 and that he wanted to finish his career at international not club level......it was also noted that Guus always see's out his contract obligations, but then again, i have learnt over the years that in football, words mean nothing, never ever believe anything until it actually happens!! ....my £'s are on Frank Rijkaard coming to Chelsea next season, but like i said, never believe..... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2008 at 00:29
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Guus' agent's statement reminds me ago a Mourniho comment from a month or two ago. When he was asked about possible national team job like England or Portugal, he said that national team jobs are for the people who don't like to work much. He is a special one, isn't he? I do agree with him though. I do think Guus will see this Russian squad through the Euro Cup. But what after then? I don't know if he will stay with them until the World Cup though. That could depend on how Russia does this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if Guus takes the Chelsea job after the Euro Cup, if it's still up for grab. Rijkaard would be also another good pick. That will all be depending on how both Chelsea and Barca finish the Champs League. If both end up in the final, both Rijkaard and Grant deserve to stay where they are. But if Rijkaard is to end up Stamford Bridge, wouldn't it be nice if he brought a couple of his players with him, I don't know.... like some bucktooth Brazilian, and a pesky Portuguese, and a Cameroonian assassin? I hear Ronaldinho will end up with AC Milan though. And also I've heard Man City is interested in Eto'o, too. What's the scoop on Drogba? Is he gonna move Real Madrid? What about Lampard to Juventus talk. Alright, we are gonna have to start a summer transfer thread. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2008 at 00:45
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...well, one of the rumours flying around here is that if Rijkaard jumps to Chelsea next season along with the three you mentioned already!!, the 'special one' will move into Barca and take Lampard, Essien and drogba with him!!!!...Lamp's contract has still not been renewed, Drogba has been quite open about his disatisfaction with Avram coming in, and Essien has hinted at a possible move next season.....?????.....
.....heard the Man City and Eto'o story as well although he has been linked with Chelsea as well if Drogba leaves???.....also speculation that Frank Ribery is considering coming to Chelsea as well....but then again, Chelsea are linked with every major possible transfer....i read today that Uncle Abramovich is preparing a £100 million spending package for next seasons buys... ...------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2008 at 01:41
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If Drogba leaves, I can't think of better guy to fill that spot than Eto'o. Not as big as Drogba but still very physical with just as quick and accurate lightening triggers. Also I think Eto'o is absolutely the best defending attacker in the world. Yeah, guys like Rooney, Tevez help out the defense a lot, but the way Eto'o goes after the defenders when they have the ball is uncanny. It almost remind me of full court pressure in basketball, like when teams can't even inbound the ball because Jordan and Pippen are running around crazy, trapping and cutting off the passing lanes. Just ask Roberto Carlos. He has served a couple easy ones to Eto'o. then again, the La Liga defenders tend to hold the ball longer than the EPL defenders. Ribery would be nice too. His game is similar to Robben's actually, which Chelsea never really filled that void. Ribery is much tougher than Robben though. It's more like if Robben went through a boot camp and had a big scar on his face, Robben would be more like Ribery. I don't know if Bayern will let him go though. The Germans seem to love this particular Frenchman. Ribery also likes to defend up front. Whatever happens, don't let go of Essien unless they are bringing in Seedorf or Viera. I believe you can always find a guy to score 20 goals for you if the rest of the team is ready to produce a 20 goal scorer,(unless it's Shevchenko), but there are only 3-4 guys that can play like Essien and most of them are getting old. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 26-Apr-2008 at 11:20
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..well, the big match is about to kick off in about an hour and half......Chelsea V Man Utd and its quite possible that Manure could win the Permiership title on this game..but hey, i hope not!!!!!...Chelsea have to win, no ifs and buts, have to win.....and then hope that Utd drop points in their final two games.....its a hefty ask but its not over yet....and i hope the billing rises to expectations and provides a decent game...
..so i am now off to get my seat warm....... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 26-Apr-2008 at 17:32
Man...... it sucks. I think that game is pay per view in U.S. Fox Soccer Channel is showing Tottenham vs Bolton right now. Wigan vs Reading right after this. Setanta isn't even showing a football game, but Heineken Cup Rugby, London Irish vs Toulouse. Gol TV is showing Hamburg vs Schalke, which I'm watching right now. I got 3 football channels and none of them are showing Man U vs Chelsea. I really hope that Football doesn't turn into Boxing, like all the major matches are on pay per view. PPV killed Boxing, well at least in U.S. Although, I don't think anything can kill football. Even after human race has extincted in the future, we would have taught some alien race how to play football.
------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 26-Apr-2008 at 22:38
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Congrats AoO!!!!! Just saw the highlight. Man U's lineup didn't make much sense to me. That lineup is alright for like Carling Cup 2nd round, but not for the most important game in EPL. Man U only needed a tie and clearly that was what they were going for. Even then that lineup wasn't particularly a good defensive lineup. Both team were saving few players for midweek the Champs League matchup. Of course Lampard was missing due his mother's death, but they also rested Makalele. That's huge. Winning the most important game of the season against Man U at home is great, of course, but to do it without Lampard and Makalele is totally another level. Man U didn't start C. Ronaldo, Tevez. I understand resting the pretty boy, but if you want to play defensively, you should start Tevez and Park. They both put a lot of pressure up front when the other team is trying to bring the ball out. And of course both are capable of starting instant counter attack when the pressure creates a turn over. Cmon, Fergie. And then They brought in the pretty boy after the game was tied. Why tried to steal the game when all they wanted was just a tie from the beginning? Joe Cole looked like one man racking ball crew in the first half, just ask Van der Sarr. Loss of Vidic also compounded on their weak lineup. Their next opponents West Ham and New Castle played against each other, 2:2 tie. Geremi and Martins scored for New Castle. What did I say about them? Little off the track, I heard something about Cardiff earned a UEFA Cup bid by winning some domestic cup, FA Cup? I think I saw Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink playing for them. Hey, a question. At the peak of their career, who's better, Hasselbaink or Drogba? ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 26-Apr-2008 at 23:29
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..many thanks KK!!!!…bit tipsy at the moment so forgive any poor spelling!!!… ….shame about the pay-per view troubles, I do not actually have Sky or access to digital tv in my home right now, so I go round friends houses or down the pub to watch the games…it was a good match and I thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle…..Chelsea were excellant in the first half and desreved their 1-0 lead…..Chelsea pushed forward and played at a great pace, Utd were out-muscled and outplayed in the midfield, and as you have stated, it looked like Utd, by resting players with an eye on next week, were perhaps playing for the draw…still, Chelsea have got their 2nd round Champions League tie next week as well, so I guess it shows that a gamble will pay off, play the strongest team you have available and Mr Grant did just that, but then again, it had to really..…….the second half saw Utd come out with more interest and more urgency and it took a couple of goal line clearences from Ashley Cole and Sheva to keep us in it….Utd goal was a complete disaster and a combined mistake by Ferreira and Cavalho…Ferreira took a free kick too quickly and passed to an unsuspecting Ricardo who promptly tried to pass it back to Cech but gave it straight to Rooney instead!!! …Chelsea were guilty of squandering too many chances in the last 30 yards of attacking play, and Kalou was perhaps most guilty of this by playing good forward footbal but lacking the killer passes at the end…must admit our corner kicks and free-kicks were pretty terrible too…too many were wasted by poor kicks which never even reached there inteded area, let alone the target players…need to work on that I think Avram!!!….overall though, a splendid performance and a great result at any stage of the season….a good solid win for my team and now we have to hope that Utd drop the points and Chelsea do not!!!!.. ..as for Cardiff, they have reached the final of the FA Cup which is yet to be played, the initial problem was that, being a Welsh team, they were not affiliated to the English football association and it was said that, if Cardiff were to win the final they could not be entered into the UEFA cup…I believe its all been settled though…..here’s a link that will spell it out a bit better than me right now!!!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/7350681.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/7350681.stm …as for Jimmy and Drogs…hard one to call….very similar players in style…. Both physically strong, holding players with a powerful killer shot on goal…..Drogs also makes for a good defender which Jimmy lacked, but I think Hasselbaink was a better worker off the ball and possessed a slightly better killer instinct in front of goal…and perhaps a harder shot???….also think Didier is too ready to go down to ground, more so than Jimmy ever was…however, both seem to suffer from unnecessary tantrums when things don’t quite go their way, maybe that’s the inherent stropiness in most strikers who tend believe that they are god’s gift to football!!!!!….still, if I had to choose, perhaps controversially, I would probably go for Hasselbaink…. ..so, all the best for now KK…. ..see you later over the next couple of weeks….AoO.. ------------- |
….oh dear….nevertheless, despite Utd being more attacking, we still I think out played them and there was no controversy over the penalty for handball, it was a penalty and Ballack stuck it away nicely…Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11-May-2008 at 19:57
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...oh well, for me it has been an anti-climatic day of Premiership football...my team Chelsea did not do as well as expected, but in all honesty, i did think it was going to be Utd's day.....its been a pretty good season though, given the change of manager early on in the campaign....still, now i can look forward to the 2008/09 season!!!!!!...and of course, the Champions League Final in Moscow...!!!!....but....but....
..i just cannot offer any congrats to Manure......its too in-bred to be polite!!!..we'll have the swines next year!!!!!....
..i would just like to say thanks very much for all those forum members who have contributed to this thread over the past footballing year,
 ....and especially to King Kang of Mu who, without rival, has added so much insight and footballing analysis making this thread informative and a joy to follow........many, many thanks my friend and nicely done............ .....so, until the next time...ta ta for now...
...AoO.... ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 12-May-2008 at 05:40
Thanks, AoO It was indeed great season for both of them. I do think Man U deserved to lift the trophy because they were most consistently good throughout the entire season. Arsenal looked better first half of the season and Chelsea might have got hot streak towards the end, but Man U never really looked bad more than a game or two at a time and there weren't really that many to begin with. Anyway, it was still a great race last month or so. That's why tie to Bolton leaves more bitter taste but it was still a great race and great season. I mean how can you not remember a season that had games like wins over Arsenal, Liverpool, Man U in past several weeks? I do agree that Avram earned his job this season. We've talked about moving Essien to right back and how brilliant that was, but another thing I noticed that was better than Mourinho era was that how Ballack and Joe Cole has improved under Avram. If you go back to the beginning of this thread you will find how Anti Joe Cole I was. Many times his working range was stretched because of injuries in the central mids, but he worked hard at it and it shows. Even his offense got better. And Ballack! I think he was their best player along with Essien in last 6-7 weeks. Those were guys they couldn't get much production out of. I mean you know what you gonna get out Drogba, Essien, Lampard, Makalele, Terry game in and game out. In Mournho days, Ballack couldn't even play and Joe Cole was everything that was wrong with team. Now they are big match winners. OK, if I had all the money in the world and owned a football team, Joe Cole wouldn't my choice to entrust the job of giving the ball to Drogba, sure, but still...... With current roster, I still wanna see more of Shaun Wright Phillips and Ashley Cole running to the flag or dribbling diagonally into the box but it's hard to predict what will happen over the summer as far as the roster change goes. Anyway it was great season and see you in the Champs League thread soon. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Caoimhe
Date Posted: 18-May-2008 at 00:38
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Well, Arsenal trailed off unfortunately (god bless them). I really thought they'd stay for longer in the hunt. Although Manchester United are a good alternative to the Champions title. Hopefully Chelsea will win the Champions League.
------------- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 19-May-2008 at 22:36
First half of the season they were the best team in EPL if not entire Europe. I blame at injuries to Van Persie and Rosicky. Well least that was the beginning of the ungluing. It effected Fabregas and Hleb too. But Arsenal still remains as one of my favorite team in entire Europe. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 20-May-2008 at 10:15
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.....latest rumour has it that Lampard has signed a four year deal with Inter Milan and will start next season when the 'special one' takes over at the managerial healm!!!!...all of this, has of course, been dismissed by Inter and Chelsea!!!..
..mind you, every pre-season since Uncle Roman took over emerges huge speculation to just about every top global player linking them with transfers to Chelsea, however, this i think, is the first time that so much rumour has persisted over players actually leaving the squad...????....still, Mancini is being linked with the managers job when Grant moves back into his 'Director of Football' role....!!!...what the hell does a 'Director of Football' do anyway.....???
 ..AoO.. ------------- |
Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 21-May-2008 at 07:31
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Hey, Good Luck tomorrow, AoO! I'll say 2:1 Chelsea! Either way I think it will be a great game. Both know each other very well, both are pretty much in full strength and had alot of time to prepare for this one. One for the ages for English football for sure.
------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21-May-2008 at 10:34
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...thanks very much King Kang.....
....the buzz is enormous right now, should be a great final and a brilliant event...
..i am going for 2-1 to Chelsea as well.......i am well excited, i am going to watch the game round a friends house, he has one of these huge plasma tv things so it should be good viewing!!!..there will be one or two Manure fans there as well, could be a tense evening
 !!!!..fingers crossed then
....hope to be writing here soon with some good news......thanks again KK..... ------------- |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 21-May-2008 at 14:43
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Chelsea will win by 2 goals to 1 and Ballack will score all goals for the Chelski. And Germany will be European Champion in June.
Everything is going to be allright. -------------
http://imageshack.us">
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Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 22-May-2008 at 04:27
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It was soooooooooo close to to be 2:1 that all three of us had predicted. Maybe they should have kept that artificial turd on. I feel for you, AoO. I hope you had enough alcoholic consumption for Oblivion. Here is another one for you, brother.
------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 22-May-2008 at 10:56
....thanks very much KK, i am so, so disappointed even now, that i am, for once, speechless.....i don't have anything to say .....this one really, really, hurt......the passion of football eh??.....------------- |
Posted By: Kaysaar
Date Posted: 24-May-2008 at 22:06
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Well, it looks like http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=538621&cc=5901ant%20has%20been%20sacked... - Avram Grant has been sacked...
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