Nice shot.

So the Champions League will be played independently but during the season this year, based on last year's results? If that's the case, what about players changing teams? There would be different players playing for a team according to results they had nothing to do with.

Yup -- that's why there's tons of movement during the off-season as players jockey to be on teams that play in the Champ's League. Also, once a player plays a single CL game they are "cup tied" to that team and can't participate again that season if they are transfered.

That's what I meant.. if you are punted out of the last div (and out of "league" play) there are still leagues out there...

quote name='Fenxis' date='Sunday, August 12th, 2007, 7:02 AM' post='2074104']
That's what I meant.. if you are punted out of the last div (and out of "league" play) there are still leagues out there...
[/quote]If you finish bottom two of division two national league you now drop into the newly re-named "Blue Square" conference.

Sorry man, I couldn't pass it up.

omg stevie g, you never cease to amaze me

Blackburn won with 2 good strikes over Boro.
Will be 2 from 2 when they defeat Arsenal this weekend!

Getting just a bit ahead of yourself.

wow yummy just found this thread will be pulling for tottenham and chelsea mostly. thank god for FCP and all of their amazing suprises !

uh oh for liverpool fans steven gerrard with the broken toe !! apparently still gonna play in the chelsea match however

How do you watch games from the US? Can't find any info about it.

Fox Sports has a channel where I get the games (part of my cable package), and ESPN usually plays a game of the week type deal on Wednesday afternoons (replay from a sat/sun game), and thats about all I got.

All hail Gerrard. Pool was one striker short last year so hopefully Torres fits the bill. I wonder how all these teams missed out on Berbatov last year.

Go Liverpool!

I cannot for the life of me understand Ferguson's signings this summer.

We (United) had a good squad last season, where the only real areas where you could say we needed strengthening were attack and defence. So, what does he do? Goes out and buys 3 midfielders and spends a RIDICULOUS amount of money doing so. Should have bought an out and out striker, like Torres... a target man who can also take people on and score.

Both Rooney and Tevez like to drop back, leaving us with no-one to aim for. Saha is alwayd injured, so he's not a consistent option either. Same with Solskjaer.

And how did he not learn from last season, that if either Vidic or Ferdinand get injured, our defence if f'ked? How Wes Brown is still a United player is beyond me.

Tevez - Totally unnecessary. Plays the same role as Rooney.

Hargreaves - Seriously over priced. Money should have been spent on 2 quality defenders.

Nani - Just an extravagent buy.

Anderson - Let's see more of him then.


Rant over. Jesus Christ!

we don't need a bloody target man. The system that we play renders a target man useless and just hampers the flow of play. Tevez is perfect for it because him and Rooney can be interchangable during the run of play when they will be on the pitch with each other. Nani will be able to provide extra width in the midfield while also being able to go forward. Anderson will end up replacing scholes and Hargreaves is there to free up carrick so that carrick doesn't have to play the holding role he played last year. Getting a target man is just dumb, why do you think that Ruud got sold

not getting the Defenders was more due to Pique and Jonny Evans emerging also.

I do agree though that we need another striker, but we need someone more like anelka, NOT A TARGET MAN

Liverpool got anus-rammed against Chelsea. I cannot believe a penalty was given for that crap. Fernando Torres sure looked good.....

I only saw the first half, and haven't seen any replays of the penalty, but I'll take your word that it was bullshit.

Also, Torres looked great, just what I wanted.

yes omg Torres deserves a for that magnifico goal. but when the penalty was given i was happy cause i have been a closet Chelsea fan ever since they got Shevchenko

I got America's top 180 package for Dish Network and the have GOLTV channel 407, and Setanta channel 406. Setanta plays more premier league games then Fox Soccer Channel does.

I get GOL and FSC....both play lots of games.....

the best is the english league review show on FSC Sundays at 8pm....

Bahahaahaha!!


Boring boring Chelsea.... what a crock of sh1t.

Jose Mourinho out as Chelsea manager!!!! Just announced!!!

Abramovich clearly had enough of that boring style.


Gus Hiddink to Chelsea... Mourinho to Real Madrid?

OK I guess that the Setanta channel was just a month long freebie or something so thats not available in America's top 180 package.

Can you say Ronaldinho to Chelsea? I can't believe it :s I want him to stay in Barca

I very much doubt he'll be moving to Chelsea.

Firstly, there are so many rumours thrown around these days, in relation to agents, contracts etc etc.. it's all pretty standard and hard to know what to believe.

Also, would he really want to join a club in (relative) crisis like Chelsea, at this time? I know that Abramovich hasn't been afraid to throw crazy money around, but I remember that there was a buy-out clause in Ronaldinho's contract (from when they were first looking to sign him about 2 years ago), of £100 million. ($200m) Not sure how long he has left on his contract, but it would still be super silly money to spend on one player.

He isn't the same player he was a couple of seasons ago anyway, pre-World Cup. He's really not as effective, or fit as he was, and having a few injury problems.

The Chelsea camp is not too much of an exciting prospect to join at the moment, with unhappy players (Drogba, Shevchenko, Ferreira, Lampard and more, with rumours of players leaving to join wherever Mourinho goes next).. so the appeal will not be the same as it once was.


As a Manchester United fan, I personally wouldn't be bothered if he goes there though. I imagine it may create player/team tension, just like Shevcheko and Ballack did.. even for a player like Ronaldinho, it would take time for him to fit in, if he ever did. And nothing is ever certain in football, I wouldn't be surprised if he failed miserably if he signed anyway.

I wouldn't mind seeing him go to Man-U either. I don't follow too much in the Premier league, I know the teams, I know the players, but I don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Ronaldinho and Ronaldo would be a pretty sick combo in the mid tho.

New record high scoring game - Pompey 7-4 Reading!!
That's so crazy. I'd be embarrassed even if I was Harry Redknapp, that's a shocking scoreline!
When I first saw it, I assumd it was a Rugby match score

btw, do any FCPers have a fantasy team at premierleague.com

Man Utd win 1-0 again!

hmmmm... getting quite used to that scoreline now.

LOL @ Arsenal being behind Tottenham



Corinthians is my team too, so...



A few thoughts since it's my first contribution to this thread:

MAN UTD: I agree that tevez and rooney play similar roles, but with the season being as tough as it is, and playing FA cuo, premiership and Champions League at the same time, it doesn't hurt having backup options. I think MAN UTD are very strong this year and are solid contenders.

CHELSEA: That's a tough one, but without Mourinho they will either form a cohesive group and some out top 3 of the league, or his departure will cause the team to go downhill from now on...to be continued...

LIVERPOOL: Great signing of Torres, but I think that Benitez hasn't figured out how to play in the premiership, and the best they can hope for this season is going far in the CL, I don't see them winning the premiership where consistent results makes or breaks a season.

ARSENAL: Amazing team, it might seem obvious considering their position at the moment, but for the past two years I have said that once Fabregas starts scoring goals, they will become the team to beat... well, he's scoring goals now, and I think they are the stronger team in England, and one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Cesc is the best player in the world on current form IMHO. I'd bet on them if I had to chose a team to go all the way.

Ya... overall I'm 105k / 1.4mill

I politely disagree.

I agree with you, that it's Cristiano Ronaldo.

even as a ManU supporter and has been a big fan of Ronaldo since he joined us, I have to say it's Kaka. He is able to impose his will on the game much more then Christiano, but it's just a matter of time before Ronny takes that mantle. He's looked like a completely different player since euro 04 and just gets better by the day

This season Cesc has been the dominant player in the EPL so far no doubt. Whether he is the best in the world I'm not sure. Its prob him or Messi atm. They are both better than kaka IMHO.

n1, im 95k.

Febregas is absolutly quality all round now. Really good but we aren't even half way through the season yet and he has no way proved himself to be the best player in the world. Neither has kaka who basically only had a good champions league last season and was poor in the seria a all season.

It shit but kaka will most deffo get the official vote from fifa in december as the best player in the world. Simply because AC milan won the champions league.

The only reason AC milan won the CL is cos Milan werent in contention to win Seria a so they could afford to rest key players at the back end of the season ready to play the CL. Man United were in a tussle with Chelsea at the top of the premiership and had to play the likes or Rooney and Ronaldo and co week in week out. Liverpool did the same as milan and rested players for the CL so they beat Chelsea.

Ronaldo is much better than Fabregas at this moment - he has scored more goals this seaon than fabregas and what people forget is Ronaldo is a right winger and to score as many goal from right wing as he does is just sick - it is un thinkable. Look at Fabregas' postion and look at Lampard and Gerrard. They score more goals a season than Fabregas from the central attacking postion. There meant to score goals.

Also if you want to predict who'll win the premiership!!!!

It will not be liverpool that is for sure. They never have won the premiership and they never will while Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger are managers in England.

Chelsea are 5 points off United and Arsenal and allthough that doesn't seem like much it is. Considering arsenal went the whole season unbeaten not too long ago. They might have a bit of luck and get into the title race but 1 slip up from now till christmas would certainly end that and while JT, Carvalho and cech are all out injured it wouldnt suprise me if chelsea lose a few point over christmas.

Man Utd are the slight fave over arsenal for me...simply because they'v been there before - this young arsenal team haven't had to deal with the pressure at the top like this before. 1 slip up from arsenal and you dont know what they might do or how they'll react. It could send them into a run of bad form. Man utd have had their bd form and look where they are. during that run of bad form they only conceded 6 goals in 10 games lol


Im only having an educated guess though and take it from me....you cant predict anything until january. Shit haooens over christmans and you cant get a good idea of how things will pan out at the top or bottom until after christmas.

i'm bumping this in anticipation of the upcoming transfer period


hopefully chelsea can bring in some help, they are getting destroyed by injuries and the african nations cup
will altidore head to europe finally?
lots of other interesting storylines around the world


discuss amongst yourselves.

Well done City, vs Newcastle. Showed that Fat Scam Allardyce...
Liverpool vs Wigan, 1-1... laughs at Benitez having a fit on the touchline. Maybe he should've made better signings, or used his players better. Without Torres they'd be terribly doomed away from top4. At least they've got that to fight for cause they sure aren't challenging for a title. I don't see them getting lucky in the CL again either.

Still hold this?
Tevez is having a great season at the moment and managing to get himself into more of a centre forward role than he has done before and is poaching goals like RVN used to.
Nani is having a great season aswell, he's obviously just overshadowed by Ronaldo (Easily best player on the planet atm).
I concur about hargreaves, I think he will have a really good season in 08/09 though, he's been kinda injury plagued.
Anderson has so much potential it's ridiculous, I've seen a few games where he has absolutely dictated the tempo of the match and just run the game.


Anyone got any thoughts on transfer window so far?
Big signings:
Anelka - Bolton to Chelsea - 15M - This is a great buy imo and 15M is a sweet price for chelsea considering the money they have, he looked lively in his first game and was unlucky not to score, especially with Drogba out at the moment. I'll be interested to see how they play together.


That's kind of it atm actually.

lool. Bear in mind that post/rant was written after the first 3/4 matches of the season (when we had an awful start).

Ok, so... I should pretty much learn not to criticize or question Ferguson's decision making. I've done it before, like many Man Utd fans, and almost always been wrong long term. This is why he is one of the best managers that England has ever seen.

I was wrong about Tevez. He has gelled with Rooney and Ronaldo instantly, and all seem to compliment each other.

Anderson looks like a great signing, really strong and an intelligent footballer who looks suited to the Premiership (I thought he might be another Djemba Djemba type failure).

Hargreaves is a great player, no doubt, and fits well into the side... Injury problems aside, he has established himself immediate first choice ahead of Carrick, which is no mean feat considering the season Carrick had last year.

Nani... well I still kinda think he was a slightly extravagent buy, BUT that is not a bad thing. He is essential cover for Giggs, and a super talented player. He's not a consistent first choice yet, but he's learning a lot about the Prem and he's got a great shot on him, as well as his skills. I think atm, just like Ronaldo when he first arrived, he needs to learn to be a bit more of a team player but you can't expect him to be everything all at once. An amazing player to have in our squad though. (other clubs must be pretty jealous that we can have that calibre of player on our bench, lol!)

A couple of things I think I was right about though.. firstly Saha not being reliable enough due to injury (I know this is not ground-breaking stuff, obv everyone knows he always gets injured). It's a shame, as he does give us a different option, especially in Europe.

Also, I still think that we don't have enough cover for our defence. If Rio or Vidic get injured, what happens then? Also, with Neville's long term injury (is he EVER coming back now? I'm not sure), and Wes Brown looking like he could be leaving at the end of the season, the right back position could be a problem soon. Evra is the best left back in England imo though (he's sorting out a new contract at the moment too).

Another player who's impressed me from the little I've seen him, is Danny Simpson. Seems confident already, when he's played. Keep an eye out for him... although it'll be hard for him to fully break through with the strength of our current squad.


*** I'm waffling on a bit, so just a quick comment on Anelka.... Put it this way, while I agree he can be a world class player at times, I am pleased that Utd didn't sign him. You just have to look at his track record... 9th club? I'm sure he'll do good at Chelsea, he'll get goals no question. But he has to be considered a risk. He's unpredictable though, so I dunno, watch this space I guess. £15m seems ok too, esp considering some of the prices Chelsea have paid!


Predictions for the title:

Winners: Man Utd
Runners Up: Chelsea
Third: Arsenal

Hopefully Arsenal will not be able to continue their early season form and will slip down a little now. Chelsea I think, will be our biggest competition. Thery're still only 4 points behind and just quietly going on, with everyone talking about the race between Man Utd and Arsenal.

Keegan the new manager at Newcastle, just goes so show that despite the new owner they are still the same old joke of a club they have always been.

Picque can easily cover and we can call back evans on his loan. Especially Picque he'd start on many clubs right now and would be starting for us if Vidic and Rio weren't so awesome

Cristiano Ronaldo = Best Player In The World.

Not Close. At All.

Ronaldo Free Kick

yeah Manchester United is in great shape at the moment...and I think that there aint no trouble with right backs because O`Shea, Hargreaves, Pique and Simpson all can play that spot and of course Neville is coming back soon so imo Ferguson should sell Brown at the moment so he could get 1-2 million£....but maybe Fergie still hopes that Brown accepts new contract offers....but yeah imo ManUtd dont need Brown..

that was one of the best free kicks i've ever seen. I mean it doesn't look as good because no curl on the ball or whatever but the ball just seems to be still the whole way through and then dips.

Andy Gray said in commentary that Brown was sorting out his contract and that it looks like he'll stay. Imo most improved player of the season for Utd.

Ronaldo... jeez. He is just unstoppable.

that free kick was disgusting. just wow.

let me just second what the Liverpool detractors have been saying. I love the 'Pool but I think it is time for a managerial switch. I would love to see them adopt a more attacking style akin to Arsenal.