2012/2013 English Premier League thread

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by mpaca

Also, GO CHELSEA!!!!!

Gross.

[Lego Man]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Gross.

To be completely honest, I have always loved watching Football but never had an attraction to any team in particular. I used to follow Roma, but I've grown embarrassed of Serie A. I still follow Wisla Krakow, but the play is... well in Poland.

This is how it went down: I can't pick United because they are the traditional winners... so it would seem cheap to just pick them. I'm not going to pick Manchester City because they essentially are United... just a decade behind it seems. Arsenal and Liverpool don't interest me for whatever reason. Tottenham seems like an interesting team to follow this season, based on what happened last season - but meh. It was fun watching Chelsea win the Champions League, and one of my good friends is a die hard Chelsea fan - so now I have someone to watch and discuss things with. So now Chelsea will be my team, and when I have children - their team, and their kids kids.

[united]

I'm still a bit surprised Arsenal sold RvP to United at all. They were wanting 25m from what reports had said, so 22.5m now and 1.5m almost guaranteed isn't so bad. If the roles were reversed I would've tried for 30m because of the rivalry. People will say he's getting older, only has a year left on his contract thus lowering the price but he's still an exceptional player who will link up very well with Rooney.

As for injuries, there is some past history but I'm not overly worried at this point. In the past two seasons he appeared in 83% of Arsenal's Premier League matches, more than Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Cole, Nasri appeared for their respective clubs. That's just a small list of players I chose off the top of my head.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

!!!!

was months ago, hold true to your word Piers

his reaction:

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Re my pledge, I jumped off Santa Monica pier, but fortunately hit Van Persie's gigantic greed-infested ego in the water. So survived.

Morgan generally feels a bit ... "disappointed" after the transfer. I've never seen a celebrity post harsh tweets like that.

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Funny, I really thought @Persie_Official was different. But he turned out to be just another mercenary, heartless, selfish little s**t.

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Well done, Ivan Gazidis, a great bit of 'business' - selling #Arsenal 's top player to our bitter rivals. Shame on you & the whole board.

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
What a sickening betrayal of Wenger too - the man who stood so loyally behind @Persie_Official through years of injury. #VanPursestrings

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Careful, Shrek @WayneRooney - you've got a treacherous new Donkey arriving.

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Congratulatons @SamNasri19 - you're no longer the most loathsome ex Arsenal player in Britain.

Piers Morgan ‏@piersmorgan
Good news, Cashley @TheRealAC3 - we've finally found someone even more money-grabbing than you. @Persie_Official

... and Frimpong doesn't seem to be very happy either:

Emmanuel Y Frimpong ‏@Frimpong26AFC
God Forgives...... I DON'T Retaliation is a must..

[TopChed]

Originally Posted by devo22

Morgan generally feels a bit ... "disappointed" after the transfer. I've never seen a celebrity post harsh tweets like that.

You've obviously never seen his twitter battles with Rio Ferdinand. Those have been pretty entertaining.

[d_phaneuf]

or with Michael Owen

I think he's one of the worst people in the world, but his flip flopping on Arsenal is entertaining

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by united

I'm still a bit surprised Arsenal sold RvP to United at all. They were wanting 25m from what reports had said, so 22.5m now and 1.5m almost guaranteed isn't so bad. If the roles were reversed I would've tried for 30m because of the rivalry. People will say he's getting older, only has a year left on his contract thus lowering the price but he's still an exceptional player who will link up very well with Rooney.

As for injuries, there is some past history but I'm not overly worried at this point. In the past two seasons he appeared in 83% of Arsenal's Premier League matches, more than Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Cole, Nasri appeared for their respective clubs. That's just a small list of players I chose off the top of my head.

He signed a new 4 yr, 200k quid a week contract as part of the transfer.

[604flames]

Joey Barton on his way to France? All over Twitter this afternoon..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19291839

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by 604flames

Joey Barton on his way to France? All over Twitter this afternoon..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19291839

Ya know, it's too bad he's so bat##### crazy. He's shown to be a helluva footballer, for those short lived moments when his head is on straight.

[d_phaneuf]

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

.

Ya know, I'll take the bad, with the GOOD:

Managerial

Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager. In 2003, Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma, awarded to all coaches who had at least 10 years' experience of being a manager or head coach.[108]
He is the Vice-President of the National Football Museum, based in Preston,[109] and a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association.[110]
In addition to being the only manager to win the top league honours, and the 'Double', North and South of the England–Scotland border (winning the Premier League with Manchester United, and the Scottish Premier Division with Aberdeen), he is also the last manager to win the Scottish championship with a non Old Firm team, achieving this in the 1984–85 season with Aberdeen. He is also the only manager in English football to have managed to finish in the top three league places in 20 consecutive seasons, since the 1991–92 season.
On 5 November 2011, the Old Trafford North Stand was officially renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in honour of his 25 years as manager of Manchester United.[111]
He has won 48 trophies as a manager, making him the most successful British football manager in history.[112]

MANCHESTER UNITED:

• Premier League (12): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
• FA Cup (5): 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
• League Cup (4): 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
• FA Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League (2): 1998–99, 2007–08
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1990–91
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Individual

• LMA Manager of the Decade (1): 1990s
• LMA Manager of the Year (3): 1998–99, 2007–08, 2010–11
• LMA Special Merit Award (2): 2009, 2011
• Premier League Manager of the Season (10): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
• Premier League Manager of the Month (26): August 1993, October 1994, February 1996, March 1996, February 1997, October 1997, January 1999, April 1999, August 1999, March 2000, April 2000, February 2001, April 2003, December 2003, February 2005, March 2006, August 2006, October 2006, February 2007, January 2008, March 2008, January 2009, April 2009, September 2009, January 2011, August 2011
• UEFA Manager of the Year (1): 1998–99
• UEFA Team of the Year (2): 2007, 2008
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year (3): 1999, 2007, 2008
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach (2): 1999, 2008
• IFFHS World's Best Coach of the 21st Century (1): 2012
• World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year (4): 1993, 1999, 2007, 2008
• Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year (1): 2000
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award (1): 1999
• BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award (1): 1999
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (1): 2001
• English Football Hall of Fame (Manager) : 2002
• European Hall of Fame (Manager): 2008
• FIFA Presidential Award: 2011
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2001–02)
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2011–12)
  • Manager of the Decade
  • Most Coaching Appearances (392 games)
• FWA Tribute Award : 1996
• PFA Merit Award: 2007
• Mussabini Medal : 1999

Orders and special awards

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 1983
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): 1995
• Knight Bachelor (Kt.): 1999

[604flames]

Huge for Saints if legit.

Sky Sports News ‏@SkySportsNews SKY SOURCES: Bologna accept £11.8m bid from Southampton for midfielder Gaston Ramirez. #SSN

[d_phaneuf]

"It's such an honour for me,” (Wilshere) told Arsenal.com. “Getting the No 10 shirt again at the Club means so much to me as I wore it all through the youth teams at Arsenal.

“It has a special place for all attacking or creative players. I feel proud to wear it now after some real Club legends have worn it, such as Dennis Bergkamp.

I feel like he is purposely avoiding someone.....

[NBC]

^ That's pretty funny.

[united]

ESPN FC ‏@ESPNFC
ESPN understands that Clint Dempsey is refusing to play for Fulham ever again. He wants to move this summer.

ESPN FC ‏@ESPNFC
ESPN also understands that Manchester United have rejected an enquiry from Chelsea for Javier Hernandez

[d_phaneuf]

I thought only Sky used the ____ understands

ESPN started?

[d_phaneuf]

also everywhere is saying Alex Song won't be an Arsenal player by Monday

with no mention of any replacement

Arsene is undoing any good will he got by bringing in Cazolra/Giroud/Podolski

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

also everywhere is saying Alex Song won't be an Arsenal player by Monday

with no mention of any replacement

Arsene is undoing any good will he got by bringing in Cazolra/Giroud/Podolski

Nuri Sahin is rumored to be heading out on loan for the year to either Arsenal or Liverpool. Sahin wouldn't be a direct replacement for Song, but he would at least fill in one of the CM spots for the time being.

Either way, Song will be a really tough loss for the Gunners.

This is going to be a very interesting season. The Manchester clubs and Chelsea seem to be headed for the top 3, but fourth place is pretty wide open right now.

Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool have all undergone some pretty big changes this summer and are pretty tough to predict right now.

I can't wait for the season to get started tomorrow!

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool have all undergone some pretty big changes this summer and are pretty tough to predict right now.

I'll try
Totts 4th, Arsenal 3rd, Liverpool 9th.

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I'll try
Totts 4th, Arsenal 3rd, Liverpool 9th.

You think Chelsea will finish out of the top 4? I have a hard time seeing Arsenal or Tottenham finishing ahead of Chelsea unless they make a big move here in the last two weeks of the transfer window.

I think:

1) Man U
2) Man C
3) Chelsea
4) Arsenal
5) Tottenham
6) Liverpool
7) Newcastle