We Go Again! The Premier League thread

[Dolphin Ziggler]

First topic message reminder :

I'm shocked!

[Guest]

Have any prediction threads been made yet? I'm too lazy to look.

[Adam D]

Apparently this is the scene at The King Power Stadium yesterday - the chairman has ordered 19 BMW i8's ready for the players following last season's triumph

[Ent]

So what's the first Manchester derby gonna look like and will it be the costliest set of players ever on display?

City:

Hart
Zabeta kompany stones clichy
Gundogan fernandinho silva?
De bruyne aguero sane

United
De gea
Valencia Bailly smalling shaw
Carrick pogba
Lingard Rooney martial
Zlatan

Crazy times.

[Stella]

Are Utd favourites for the title after the Pogba signing?

[Crimey]

Are Utd favourites for the title after the Pogba signing?

No. 

I don't think so at all. I wouldn't say anybody are favourites, I'd guess Manchester City.

[Ent]

No, wouldn't think so.

Hard to pick out who is favourite imo.

[Guest]

Are Utd favourites for the title after the Pogba signing?

Has Pogba signed for Utd, I wasn't aware they were interested

[Stella]

Are Utd favourites for the title after the Pogba signing?

Has Pogba signed for Utd, I wasn't aware they were interested

Went under the radar!

[Guest]

Are Utd favourites for the title after the Pogba signing?

Has Pogba signed for Utd, I wasn't aware they were interested

Went under the radar!

Typical Utd...understated, not wanting to make fuss, classy!

[Stella]

No, wouldn't think so.

Hard to pick out who is favourite imo.

Utd for me, and that was before they signed Pogba. I never actually predict right, so it won't be them!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Open as hell this year. Chelsea and Liverpool have no Europe, so could benefit and cause issues. City have Pep and have made shrewd signings. United look to have some ego and swagger back, plus Jose has more of a will to win than most. Spurs keep the side together and as a young team they can only improve, but Europe balancing act is an issue. Leicester have added even more pace with Musa.

And Arsenal have Rob Holding

[Guest]

Chelsea to park the bus and run away with it. City to once again be much less than the sum of their parts, Arsenal to flirt with winning then get all coy and get a taxi home before last orders. Utd to get into the top four based solely on spending the GDP of a third world country....look for them to spend another £50m in January

Liverpool to gel very nicely at times but not enough to threaten and still chuck away points that on paper should be gimmes. Should win one of the Cup competitions though and get into Europe

[Guest]

Fear this season will be an anti climax, the hype of manager acquisitions & the Pogba transfer, has raised expectations to a ridiculous level, made more difficult, given we're following on from Leicester last season, which won't be replicated. Think we will be back to 'normal service' resumed this year, in terms of the usual top 4, historically. Doubt United will be a mess anymore to keep us entertained either.

[Ent]

If we are honest last season was crap, Leicester were a good story and deserving champions but the over all quality of the league was probably the worst in the history of the pl.

I'd be very happy with a good city, United and Chelsea side this year.

[Hero]

With the Stones signing City have now outspent Utd this summer, they've also spent £176.5m on trying to find a centre back partner for Kompany.

[Stella]

Or a replacement, as he is always injured. City have spent nearly £100m on two England fringe players. Well, Sterling would definitely be fringe if I was in charge.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Stones fits the Guardiola blueprint but i'm not sure it will be a formula for success in the Premier League, he did not have a great season last year at all.

[Hero]

Highest rated players across the top 5 European leagues according to WhoScored last season were:

Premier League: Mahrez 7.84
La Liga: Messi 8.46
Bundesliga: Mkhitaryan 7.9
Serie A: Pogba 7.81
Ligue 1: Ibrahimovic 8.29

Looking forward to Utd completing the set!

[Guest]

If we are honest last season was crap

Agreed, but just as a general question, is the quality drastically going to improve over one summer window? Manager's are one thing, but at the end of the day it's about players. The PL has really only recruited an ageing Zlatan & the potential of Pogba, in terms of players from that elite level or near it. Most of the signings have been between existing players like Mane, Ayew, Stones, Kante, Townsend & Wijnaldum types, while Sane/Michy B are standout signings, but are still only potential. Just seems like this summer, apart from Man U, has seen PL teams just plucking each other for talent. I don't see the quality going up, I see more competitiveness & more scrappy, tight play between sides of a similar level. Interesting to see how it unfolds.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I think Ent is looking back with rose-tinted spectacles anyway

[Ent]

Not really, pl used to be best league in Europe. Overall poor performances in European competition from pl teams last year.

[Guest]

Liverpool made the EL final & Man City made the SF of the CL

[Hammersmith harrier]

Not really, pl used to be best league in Europe. Overall poor performances in European competition from pl teams last year.

It still is, their might be better teams elsewhere but the overall quality is unrivalled, as someone not too fussed by European competition I enjoyed the sheer lunacy of last year.

[GSC]

All leagues have their peaks and troughs. The PL sides dominated the CL from 2005 for a while. Then the big 2 in Spain reacted, largely with their wallets. Bayern followed suit.

With those 3 able to outbid the PL sides, they hoovered up the best players and the PL sides picked up the scraps.

Now it looks like the latest TV deal has swung the momentum back to the PL sides, especially in Manchester.

[Hero]

Not just in Manchester, so many other clubs bringing in real young quality players this summer.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

[Fernando]

With the amount Citeh & United have spent you would expect a league title. Id have United favorites for now unless Citeh buy some full backs Sagna & Clichy aren't good enough anymore.

[GSC]

I'm not sure any of the big sides really distinguished themselves over that period either. Better quality in the lower sides has been a factor but City, United, Chelsea etc haven't taken charge of the league.

[GSC]

Perhaps slightly off the wall but I'd love to see Olympic football replaced with a 5 a side competition

[Ent]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

Nah, city, Chelsea, United, arsenal all poor last year.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Perhaps slightly off the wall but I'd love to see Olympic football replaced with a 5 a side competition

I wouldn't disagree with that to be honest, it works with the Rugby 7's.

[Hero]

They were poor last year yes but I'd argue the case that due to the increase of quality of other teams within the Premier League then there's rarely an easy game, as a result clubs can't play at 80% the weekend before a European game whilst often Barca/Real/Bayern canter to wins domestically and go into the Champions League all guns blazing.

[GSC]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

[Stella]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

Bring Scholes out of retirement for 5 a-side.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

As with 7's you would have specialist 5's players who play the game week in week out so don't think you'd see too many if any household names.

[Crimey]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

As with 7's you would have specialist 5's players who play the game week in week out so don't think you'd see too many if any household names.

Which would be good for the sporting competition, but a big knock on sponsorship for the games. Whilst football obviously is overshadowed, being able to call on the marketing power of players like Neymar can't hurt.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

Nah, city, Chelsea, United, arsenal all poor last year.

Good argument

[Hammersmith harrier]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

As with 7's you would have specialist 5's players who play the game week in week out so don't think you'd see too many if any household names.

Which would be good for the sporting competition, but a big knock on sponsorship for the games. Whilst football obviously is overshadowed, being able to call on the marketing power of players like Neymar can't hurt.

Specifically in Brazil that might help but in previous I don't think it would have made a difference, football is barely covered in comparison to the more high profile Olympic sports.

[Ent]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

Nah, city, Chelsea, United, arsenal all poor last year.

Good argument

True though isn't it, 3 of them have new managers. 1 team past 1st knock out phase cl and they had an easy draw.

[Crimey]

Who'd you pick though. Assuming u23 rule is scrapped and you can get the players to turn up. Bale the obvious pick for GB

As with 7's you would have specialist 5's players who play the game week in week out so don't think you'd see too many if any household names.

Which would be good for the sporting competition, but a big knock on sponsorship for the games. Whilst football obviously is overshadowed, being able to call on the marketing power of players like Neymar can't hurt.

Specifically in Brazil that might help but in previous I don't think it would have made a difference, football is barely covered in comparison to the more high profile Olympic sports.

It'd be worth even less though if they took away the few star players that are involved. I can see the benefits from a sporting perspective, but not from a commercial perspective. Not sure they'd make a decision without it being good for both.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

Nah, city, Chelsea, United, arsenal all poor last year.

Good argument

True though isn't it, 3 of them have new managers. 1 team past 1st knock out phase cl and they had an easy draw.

The competition has improved as a whole. Look at the players at the "rest" of the league, the big boys have had to deal with resurgent teams domestically and abroad and havent dealt with it at all...yet

[Guest]

Bhey should just play Subbuteo or blow football...NIKE could sponsor the straws

...in other news, Paul Pogba is thinking about having toast for breakfast

[Ent]

It was better quality across the whole, arguably why our top teams look weaker. Getting challenged more than they used to, and weaknesses or lack of fitness due to poor management of European competition get pounced upon

Nah, city, Chelsea, United, arsenal all poor last year.

Good argument

True though isn't it, 3 of them have new managers. 1 team past 1st knock out phase cl and they had an easy draw.

The competition has improved as a whole. Look at the players at the "rest" of the league, the big boys have had to deal with resurgent teams domestically and abroad and havent dealt with it at all...yet

Look at the lack of players at the top sides, not that long ago United won the league by 11 points, Chelsea by 8.

Cl United out in group stages, Chelsea and arsenal first knock out round.

Europa league only Liverpool past last 16, Southampton and West Ham didn't make I through qualifiers.

It was also crap to watch last year, dull games.

[GSC]

Clearly English sides have regressed, but likewise, having 3 teams in the semi finals was never sustainable. As I said before there's always peaks and troughs. At some point the English sides will dominate again, and the big 2 in Spain will get their wallets out to close the gap again.

Could see Italy fall off the pace though and get closer to the standard of the French league.

[Crimey]

Look at the lack of players at the top sides, not that long ago United won the league by 11 points, Chelsea by 8.

Doesn't that suggest the rest of the league is weak though?

Leicester won the title by 11 points.

[GSC]

Derby trying to buy Forestieri for 7m and Gunter for 1.2m

[dyrewolfe]

Didn't think they had that kind of cash to splash.

[Duty281]

All United have done is wasted money on some has-been and some never-will-be.

They're no longer a big club, and are destined to do a Liverpool, reminiscing about the good old days whilst forever languishing outside the elite.

Southampton for the league. Palace top four. Leicester relegated. United to finish about 7th or 8th, with Pogba and Zlatan going down as two of the worst signings in PL history.

Trust me, I've spent a good 3-4 minutes thinking about this!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Southampton should have more games, and with a smaller squad currently. They appear to have replaced Mane and Pelle with just Redmond.

[Stella]

All United have done is wasted money on some has-been and some never-will-be.

They're no longer a big club, and are destined to do a Liverpool, reminiscing about the good old days whilst forever languishing outside the elite.

Southampton for the league. Palace top four. Leicester relegated. United to finish about 7th or 8th, with Pogba and Zlatan going down as two of the worst signings in PL history.

Trust me, I've spent a good 3-4 minutes thinking about this!

Only the biggest club in England.

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