The Premiership 5 games in - thoughts?

[Guest Knightrider]

Been very encouraged by the new season, more even, more competitive, better players, better tactics and an all-round better feel to it. There are clearly a number of leagues now within the league itself and for once there are a stream of clubs outside the top four who all seem very strong and capable. While further down it also looks the same. In the actual top 4 I think it will be a lot closer this time around too and I wouldn't write Arsenal off (Parky) while we'd be fools to write either Chelsea or Man Utd off who are both playing appallingly by their high standards. Liverpool are looking good I must admit but whether they can maintain that remains to be seen. This could well be one of the best seasons yet, some of the goals scored have been fantastic and there have been some very good games too. 

[Dave]

Title race looks very interesting.

 

Chase for Europe looks very interesting.

 

Derby are going down, but apart from that the relegation battle looks very interesting.

 

All of the above is the reason I can't do a final table prediction. Just no idea so far.

[NE5]

Been very encouraged by the new season, more even, more competitive, better players, better tactics and an all-round better feel to it. There are clearly a number of leagues now within the league itself and for once there are a stream of clubs outside the top four who all seem very strong and capable. While further down it also looks the same. In the actual top 4 I think it will be a lot closer this time around too and I wouldn't write Arsenal off (Parky) while we'd be fools to write either Chelsea or Man Utd off who are both playing appallingly by their high standards. Liverpool are looking good I must admit but whether they can maintain that remains to be seen. This could well be one of the best seasons yet, some of the goals scored have been fantastic and there have been some very good games too. 

 

I think like last season, we badly need a pacy midfield player or front runner. When the club sold Dyer and Nobby, they should have brought in a different player to either Faye or Merde.

 

Apart from that, we needed more steel, more character, more leadership, and he's bought the right type of players in that respect.

 

From this point on, more quality needed in the front players to break into the top elite again.

 

I think we should get into the top 6 or 7. A front player would have made 4th place a possibility.

 

 

[Dave]

Been very encouraged by the new season, more even, more competitive, better players, better tactics and an all-round better feel to it. There are clearly a number of leagues now within the league itself and for once there are a stream of clubs outside the top four who all seem very strong and capable. While further down it also looks the same. In the actual top 4 I think it will be a lot closer this time around too and I wouldn't write Arsenal off (Parky) while we'd be fools to write either Chelsea or Man Utd off who are both playing appallingly by their high standards. Liverpool are looking good I must admit but whether they can maintain that remains to be seen. This could well be one of the best seasons yet, some of the goals scored have been fantastic and there have been some very good games too. 

 

I think like last season, we badly need a pacy midfield player or front runner. When the club sold Dyer and Nobby, they should have brought in a different player to either Faye or Merde.

 

Apart from that, we needed more steel, more character, more leadership, and he's bought the right type of players in that respect.

 

From this point on, more quality needed in the front players to break into the top elite again.

 

 

 

We've only played four mate.

[Dave]

PS - no such thing as the Premiership.

[NE5]

Been very encouraged by the new season, more even, more competitive, better players, better tactics and an all-round better feel to it. There are clearly a number of leagues now within the league itself and for once there are a stream of clubs outside the top four who all seem very strong and capable. While further down it also looks the same. In the actual top 4 I think it will be a lot closer this time around too and I wouldn't write Arsenal off (Parky) while we'd be fools to write either Chelsea or Man Utd off who are both playing appallingly by their high standards. Liverpool are looking good I must admit but whether they can maintain that remains to be seen. This could well be one of the best seasons yet, some of the goals scored have been fantastic and there have been some very good games too. 

 

I think like last season, we badly need a pacy midfield player or front runner. When the club sold Dyer and Nobby, they should have brought in a different player to either Faye or Merde.

 

Apart from that, we needed more steel, more character, more leadership, and he's bought the right type of players in that respect.

 

From this point on, more quality needed in the front players to break into the top elite again.

 

 

 

We've only played four mate.

 

I know, but I think we are slightly short in this department.

 

PS, I added a line too

 

 

[Dave]

Only messing, I thought HTT's post was more about the league in general, that's all.

[Guest Knightrider]

Only messing, I thought HTT's post was more about the league in general, that's all.

 

It is

[Guest Knightrider]

Been very encouraged by the new season, more even, more competitive, better players, better tactics and an all-round better feel to it. There are clearly a number of leagues now within the league itself and for once there are a stream of clubs outside the top four who all seem very strong and capable. While further down it also looks the same. In the actual top 4 I think it will be a lot closer this time around too and I wouldn't write Arsenal off (Parky) while we'd be fools to write either Chelsea or Man Utd off who are both playing appallingly by their high standards. Liverpool are looking good I must admit but whether they can maintain that remains to be seen. This could well be one of the best seasons yet, some of the goals scored have been fantastic and there have been some very good games too. 

 

I think like last season, we badly need a pacy midfield player or front runner. When the club sold Dyer and Nobby, they should have brought in a different player to either Faye or Merde.

 

Apart from that, we needed more steel, more character, more leadership, and he's bought the right type of players in that respect.

 

From this point on, more quality needed in the front players to break into the top elite again.

 

I think we should get into the top 6 or 7. A front player would have made 4th place a possibility.

 

 

 

We are one or two players short of having a top-four capable squad and about 2 years in development and progress away from challenging that area of the table in my opinion as things stand of course. The progress has been huge since the end of last season to today though and as the manager himself said yesterday, we haven't even scratched the surface of where we want to be yet. With Big Sam and Ashley and Mort driving the club in a few years time they'll all be looking towards a title challenge which must surely be the aim.

[Keefaz]

Aye, much more postive about this season as a whole. Not sure if that's because we look a bit better as a team, or that the PL has improved. Bit of both, I think. The kind of matches you wouldn't touch in the past have started to look interesting: Blackburn v Citeh, etc.

[Dave]

Aye, much more postive about this season as a whole. Not sure if that's because we look a bit better as a team, or that the PL has improved. Bit of both, I think. The kind of matches you wouldn't touch in the past have started to look interesting: Blackburn v Citeh, etc.

 

Hope for a draw in every game not involving us.

[NE5]

Only messing, I thought HTT's post was more about the league in general, that's all.

 

It is

 

oh !!!

 

 

I think if Arsenal slip slightly, then Spuds, us or Villa could creep in. We will possibly all be the top 7 at the end. Quite impressed with Torres, but reserve judgement on him, these Spanish players don't like the wind and snow........ quite impressed with Carew at Villa, and especially Ashley Young and that lad who scored the 2nd goal today.

 

Blackburn and Everton to finish in the next 2 positions. 

 

ManU have by their standards made a shaky start, they aren't playing well. Interesting that even Alex Ferguson can get his midfield combination wrong, just like Glen Roeder, by playing 2 defensive central midfield players  Don't think at the moment that Nani is as good as Ronaldo. If you were a footballer, would you call yourself Nani BTW  is this his real name or a made up one like the Brazilians ? I remember a Brazilian footballer called Quim about 10 years ago 

 

Derby to go down. Possibly Bolton, Reading have lost their best player and were never going to sustain the first season. Wigan have made a better start than we though, but it won't last. Unfortunately West Ham will be well clear of the drop zone. The mackems will have a hard season.

 

Overall, the title will be a closer thing, and Liverpool will be closer to the other two.

[Dokko]

The greatest league in the world just got bigger and better this season.

 

Whoever wins it surely wins the hardest club competition in footballing history.

 

The Spanish league have some great teams, but beyond the top 8 the rest are Championship teams at best, Serie A is going through so much change and the bottom of their league can also be classed as poor and weak, a lot worse than La Liga imo.

 

Nothing really compares, and the extra TV revenue will allow it to grow further and further in the future.

 

You really just need to look at the standard of the Championship to realise how strong our top division really is.

 

This league needs Liverpool to come and play, and they are, it also needed Tottenham to challenge Arsenal, which they haven't but i think next season there will be 2 or 3 teams taking Spurs place as the next best outside the top 4, i expect us & Citeh to be two of them, WHU with a new manager could also do some damage next season.

 

Derby are the only team that sticks out and is certain of its future. But again next season we'll have 2 oe 3 very strong Championship teams coming back up and those that go down richer than ever. The cycle at the bottom will continue, and both leagues will benefit greatly.

 

 

 

[Mick]

5 games in is a bit early to say how the season is going to go especially when you see how some clubs have had a poor start to the season due to the fixture list.  Derby looks as if they'll not do too well and some of the other strugglers may be OK once they've had a few more games to adjust.

 

I thought Man U had signed really good players but they've not done too well so far but they are a team that could go on a long unbeaten run, just like any of last season’s top 4, so far Liverpool look to have got the best balance but they've looked good before and fell away after a good start.  The European places look like they'll be really fought over, probably more so than for a long time as so many clubs look as if they could do well.

 

Spurs don't seem to have moved forwards, they've been more like Newcastle than Newcastle so far and may have shot themselves in the foot a bit.  I think we'll know more about the teams in a couple of months when all of the new players have been tried and some possibly failed by then.

[PCW1983]

I feel ver encouraged from what ive seen so far this season, we seem a lot more organised and more capable of winning games, still think we need a injection of pace into the midfield preferably someone young who wont necesserally play every game for us quite yet but someone who we can bring on to scare the shit out of the opponent with pace and open up different avenues. 

 

Good win at Bolton was followed by what i personally see as points dropped against Villa and Boro hopefully these wont come back to haunt us but i think come the end of the season we will well wish for those points.

 

I would be happy with top ten this year hoping to maybes creep into Europe but even if we dont get into Europe next year at least we are building a solid foundation for a team which has been so lacking since SBR.

[Baggio]

I've seen more creativity in an episode of Ready, Stead Cook than in our starting 11 this season.

 

Room for improvement and it's down to Allardyce to get it right.

[Gash]

Very pleased i think it is very open, most teams could get a point or win most teams (derby aside  mackems.gif)

 

(Arsenal have done very well winning games we normally wouldnt, and only lost 2 points so far this season. We are winning games we would have drawn last season and have a new found determination about us, and the two points we lost, i would expected have to at the beginning of the season tbh if not lose [against blackburn])

[Guest Digger]

I'm really quite worried everyone is overrating our (Liverpool) start. Last season people were underrating us by the end of October, all that will Liverpool make the CL stuff, and it's for the same reason. The vagaries of the fixture list. Last year we had our 5 toughest aways in a row Chelsea, Sam's Bolton , United, the Derby and the Arse on away days 2-6. We lost them all and everyone was saying they can't play away, they're shit et cetera. I always thought we'd be 3rd comfortably before the season and nothing changed. This year it's the opposite, we get to murder 2 of the worst teams in the league away and suddenly everyone reckons it's all change. I think we've got better but so have others. In the wash I think we'll still be the 3rd best side in the country.

 

I told everyone I knew we'd be top through September and probably start to lose ground in October, and most people I knew laughed saying Liverpool 'never' start well. But in recent years our fixtures early have been appalling. It's no accident we went 12 wins start at the end of 05-06, we'd played all our trickier games by late Jan.

 

On other teams. I've been impressed. Lots of good buys, lots of good looking teams, yours included. I think we could be in for a good year all round.

[Gash]

I'm really quite worried everyone is overrating our (Liverpool) start. Last season people were underrating us by the end of October, all that will Liverpool make the CL stuff, and it's for the same reason. The vagaries of the fixture list. Last year we had our 5 toughest aways in a row Chelsea, Sam's Bolton , United, the Derby and the Arse on away days 2-6. We lost them all and everyone was saying they can't play away, they're s*** et cetera. I always thought we'd be 3rd comfortably before the season and nothing changed. This year it's the opposite, we get to murder 2 of the worst teams in the league away and suddenly everyone reckons it's all change. I think we've got better but so have others. In the wash I think we'll still be the 3rd best side in the country.

 

I told everyone I knew we'd be top through September and probably start to lose ground in October, and most people I knew laughed saying Liverpool 'never' start well. But in recent years our fixtures early have been appalling. It's no accident we went 12 wins start at the end of 05-06, we'd played all our trickier games by late Jan.

 

On other teams. I've been impressed. Lots of good buys, lots of good looking teams, yours included. I think we could be in for a good year all round.

Did you not get 3rd by Goal difference, not really that comfortable, i feel like i am reading this wrong because it is a stupid statement to make otherwise!

[Guest Digger]

Did you not see the teams we put out for the last month and  a bit of the season while you were all go for 4th with Spurs? It was comfortable. It's like saying Everton weren't comfortable against us, they stopped playing after Utd. at Goodison in '05, and we finished a result behind. Despite all the crap about us not concentrating on the league in 05 we put out some seriously strong sides to catch them (Pompey Away aside). They were always comfortable. We had a glimmer of hope after we won the Anfield derby that year but it was always Everton's spot. Like last year 3rd was Liverpool's. Effectively we were prepared to sacrifice 3rd for the CL as the difference between that and 4th is negligible.

 

I'd also say Utd. were comfortable against us in '06 when they finished ahead of us by 1 on the last day. They put out some rank sides until they actually needed a result against Charlton, I assume they didn't think we'd win so many in a row and be near them. Promptly, they won 3 or 4 nil.

[Shearer9]

I too, think Liverpool will take 3rd.  Everyone always talks like this at the beginning of the season and its always back to normal by May.  I'm curious though Digger, what do you think Liverpool need to become a league winning side?

 

I think Torres-Kuyt is a fantastic strike partnership, Gerrard and Alonso are dynamite in midfield, Pennant's come on strong, Babel could be one of the buys of the window, and Finnan, Carragher, Riise, and Agger make a really good defense for me.  I suppose the depth is perhaps not there like it is at Chelsea or ManUtd, but it still seems like a very strong squad to me.  Goalkeeper and Left wing are the 2 weak points for me.

 

I still think Blackburn, Everton, and Spurs will take 5th-7th, just because they've been together and successful for the last few years.  Leaving us with 8th.  There's just something about Villa that I don't really like, I think they're only just barely a top half side, as are Reading.  Now that I think of it, I think its the youth at Villa that bothers me as far as their European prospects go.  They're relying on a lot of young talent to attempt to go such a long year, I think they'll fade at the end.  The rest are pretty much equal.  I think people have been too harsh on Derby, they've also had a really tough start, and play us and Arsenal next.  While I think such a poor start will be too much to come back from, they're not far off Boro, Fulham, etc.

 

 

[Mick]

I'm really quite worried everyone is overrating our (Liverpool) start. Last season people were underrating us by the end of October, all that will Liverpool make the CL stuff, and it's for the same reason. The vagaries of the fixture list. Last year we had our 5 toughest aways in a row Chelsea, Sam's Bolton , United, the Derby and the Arse on away days 2-6. We lost them all and everyone was saying they can't play away, they're s*** et cetera. I always thought we'd be 3rd comfortably before the season and nothing changed. This year it's the opposite, we get to murder 2 of the worst teams in the league away and suddenly everyone reckons it's all change. I think we've got better but so have others. In the wash I think we'll still be the 3rd best side in the country.

 

I told everyone I knew we'd be top through September and probably start to lose ground in October, and most people I knew laughed saying Liverpool 'never' start well. But in recent years our fixtures early have been appalling. It's no accident we went 12 wins start at the end of 05-06, we'd played all our trickier games by late Jan.

 

On other teams. I've been impressed. Lots of good buys, lots of good looking teams, yours included. I think we could be in for a good year all round.

 

I must say I was very impressed with the way Liverpool scored so many against Derby, Derby might be poor but I can't see many putting 6 past them, Liverpool were clinical, they reminded me of us under Keegan and I've got to say I enjoyed watching the game more than I usually enjoy watching a game as a neutral.

[Guest Digger]

Mick they gifted us 5, they were awful.

 

Sorry for the long answer Shearer, I got carried away.

 

I disagree with you mate. Depth wise we are fantastic. We have a ludicrous. amount of good players, but conversely I think not enough special players. The type that win you titles.

 

Reina is awesome. He really is. Lightening off his line, we hold such a high line considering none of our defenders are really quick, and he comes for everything, Grobelaaresque. He really takes the pressure off. His downfall, media wise, is his few mistakes have come in high profile games, namely the Cup Final and the Derby.

 

We are short a reserve CB, but Arbola played there full time in Spain and with 2 Youth Cup winning sides I wouldn’t be adverse to chucking one of them in. Spearing was Capt. last year and a centre back. Hobbs from the 06 Youth Cup side is capt. of the ressies. We should be alright across the back.

 

LW is a problem. I don’t know if you saw MOTD but the edited highlights made Babel’s performance look great. I was there, he was average tbh; great goal aside. Bit worried about him but it’s still early days. Strangely Pennant was magic, and has been great since Jan, but they made him look sh*t.

 

In terms of a title winning side. A world class LW would make all the difference, someone to carry the ball at pace. We haven’t really had one since Barnes (Macca on his day as well). Hopefully Babel can become that but 4 games in it hasn’t looked like it, early days though. There has been flashes…

 

Kuyt misses too much. He tries so hard, his touch isn’t bad but deep, deep down, and I hate knocking the guy, I’m not sure he’s championship quality. If him, Voro, and Crouchie can each chip in then maybe…

Either that or go the Chelsea root and bring another world class stupidly expensive centre-forward.

 

But the fundamental problem is balance. If we could somehow get Alonso, Gerrard and Masch into 2 positions we’d be a lock. Gerrard and Alonso lacks a ball winner, although I don’t really know why Gerrard has shed this from his game, he was outstanding at it earlier in his career. Remember when he was DM for England and we didn’t lose for his first 20+caps. The hand-wringing before WC2002 when he was injured, Nicky Butt was outstanding in the tournament as a replacement as it turns out. I remember him displacing Ince in the Liverpool side and having all those qualities, he even came on in E2000 against Germany and looked like a better version of Didi Hamann -he crunched him in a tackle that had all Liverpool fans panicking one of them was injured-. Gerrard-Masch lacks someone to run the game Alonso style. And Alonso-Masch lacks someone to get beyond the strikers. All 3 with a world class left winger would probably be ideal.

 

I’ve always thought the Gerrard on the right bashing was a bit illogical. Gerrard MkII, the more attacking version, won Young and Player of the Year from there. Scoring 23 times in the latter. To do that we may need a better attacking fullback than Finnan (although he probably is the best crosser at the club). He was our player of the season last year, he really is good, but if Gerrard is on the right, maybe an Alves-like right back would suit better.

 

So yeah, left wing and maybe (being v. harsh on Finnan a right back more suited to our style.)

 

Oh and both Arbola and Aurelio are better left backs than JAR imo.

[Kev]

Im happy with the results in a way compared to opening 5games from previous seasons but we have been creating nothing and wont be as lucky in a few weeks time

Must improve going forward but the defence has been steady as ever

I wanted a win against boro but a draw v villa was OK

[matta]

Im happy with the results in a way compared to opening 5games from previous seasons but we have been creating nothing and wont be as lucky in a few weeks time

Must improve going forward but the defence has been steady as ever

I wanted a win against boro but a draw v villa was OK

 

we were all over wigan and shouldve gotten atleast 8!