The 6th Place Trophy - The 2017/18 Premier League Thread

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 18 Jun - 18:09

First topic message reminder :

The fixtures have been released, players have been signed and summer is already a bit boring, so here's the Premier League 2017/18 season thread.

Opening fixtures:

Arsenal v Leicester City
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City
Chelsea v Burnley
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Everton v Stoke City
Manchester United v West Ham United
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Swansea City
Watford v Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Bournemouth

by NickisBHAFC Sun 13 Aug - 8:13

Was always going to be an extremely difficult game, ill be suprised if City don't win the league.

Great day for the club, however the performance was a bit sloppy, very poor on the ball. 2-0 before kick off I think we would of taken that though!

by GSC Sun 13 Aug - 10:28

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea stuttered out the gate to varying to degrees, City eased out without too many dramas. See what United and Spurs have

by Ent Sun 13 Aug - 12:36

PL as unpredictable as ever - that is why we love it.

From a purist point of view though we could probably have seen the goals scored in the opening fixtures reduced by 25-50% with some basic work on defending corners - hard to believe professional teams are so bad at defending set pieces.

by Guest Sun 13 Aug - 12:40

Newcastle - Elliot, Manquillo, Dummett, Lejeune, Clark, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie, Perez, Atsu, Gayle

Spurs - Lloris, Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Vertonghan, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Sissoko, Alli, Eriksen, Kane

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 13:13

I'll give Cahill credit, it's not horrible, it's just no longer within the rules. Player makes a meal out of it which doesn't help.

Cesc one was miles worse.

Well done Liverpool, good display at the back to get a tricky point there.

by Guest Sun 13 Aug - 14:03

Dummett & Lejeune injured. Spurs look laboured

by Duty281 Sun 13 Aug - 14:26

Both teams look like they'll be happy with the 0-0.

Best shake hands now.

by Guest Sun 13 Aug - 14:39

Shelvey is definitely mentally challenged.

I'd get rid. Liability.

by GSC Sun 13 Aug - 14:40

Shelvey is still a ****ing moron. Who knew

by Guest Sun 13 Aug - 14:40

Alli invites it non stop, but no defence for Jonjo. Have to question his future under Rafa, we had it at Forest last year too. Can't afford that behaviour anymore

by Ent Sun 13 Aug - 14:51

Should probably just sack him and be done with it.

by Ent Sun 13 Aug - 15:13

Teams:

De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Blind, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Rashford Lukaku

Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Noble, Obiang, Fernandes, Arnautovic, Ayew, Hernandez

West ham can definitely get at that left hand side today.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 15:18

Without Antonio and Lanzini (especially the latter), I can't see us bothering you today.

Also, our height is gonna be a major issue. Very short side

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 15:18

Big fan of our bench though. Keeper, 5 defenders, Sakho

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 16:56

We've been alright, they've been a bit better and they have the Lukaku handicap goal we always concede

by NickisBHAFC Sun 13 Aug - 17:22

WERE OUT THE BOTTOM 3!!!!!!

WE ARE STAYING UP SING WE ARE STAYING UP!

by Guest Sun 13 Aug - 17:49

rout

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 17:51

Effort level has been embarrassing bar Zabaleta and Hernandez

Can't wait for Lanzini back. We just stopped trying at 2-0.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 13 Aug - 17:57

Us aside, Manchester United looked very good. Powerful but with pace, options to play neat players with bruisers, dirty when they needed to be.

Matic and Lukaku are title-charge-worthy signings. Granted, a lot of teams won't get bored like we did, but if you were looking at trends from last year that could change this year, I think those Home draws will dissipate and that secures top four at least

by **Hero** Sun 13 Aug - 20:24

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Effort level has been embarrassing bar Zabaleta and Hernandez

Can't wait for Lanzini back. We just stopped trying at 2-0.

Got to hope though that if Liverpool cave in on Coutinho that they don't come sniffing for Lanzini.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue 15 Aug - 10:04

Zaha out for four weeks

by NickisBHAFC Tue 15 Aug - 14:09

Means I can't bin Cech from my fantasy team

by Guest Tue 15 Aug - 14:18

Don't know if anybody will find interesting. The BBC are doing a sportsday to celebrate 25 years to the day that the premier league started. Like they follow the action on a Saturday, they're doing one as if today was the first day of the 92 season

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/40780204

by GSC Sat 19 Aug - 13:11

Someone needs to calm Pogba down

by Guest Sat 19 Aug - 14:11

Swansea 0-4 Man U - Bailly, Lukaku, Pogba, Martial

by GSC Sat 19 Aug - 15:35

Slaven might be under early pressure

by Guest Sat 19 Aug - 15:38

Arnautovic has that in the locker, along with going missing months on end. I wasn't in the camp of this being a great summer for them

by GSC Sat 19 Aug - 18:35

Jeses been really good for Stoke and he makes it 1-0

by GSC Sat 19 Aug - 19:01

Lacazette has a goal disallowed for offside, looked on

by Duty281 Sat 19 Aug - 19:43

Wenger loses at Stoke. Surprise, surprise!

by **Crimey** Sat 19 Aug - 23:02

Decent performance, slightly unlucky to only win 1-0. Andy Robertson looked very good, big upgrade on Moreno.

by Duty281 Sun 20 Aug - 14:38

Mooy looks a class player; and he hits a wonderful finish.

Fully deserved.

by Guest Sun 20 Aug - 15:12

Simply put, we're sh*t. Relegation six-pointer with WHU next week, Dolph.

Tottenham 1-2 Chelsea

by Duty281 Sun 20 Aug - 17:53

A fun second game. Fair play to the Spurs fans for generating an atmosphere at that dismal Wembley venue.

Chelsea: very clinical and highly clever (with the exception of Bakayako who is the clumsiest footballer I've seen in a good while).

As for tidy Huddersfield, maybe they'll soon start getting the respect they deserve; they're here to stay in the Premier League.

by Holymiky Sun 20 Aug - 17:59

Wow some actual praise on here for Chelsea, i'm surprised to say the least.

by Guest Sun 20 Aug - 18:41

God, Theirry Henry grinds on me as a pundit.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Mon 21 Aug - 7:48

Slav was already under pressure! They don't like him.

However, having finally got around to watching it (frak off, Sydney karaoke bars and time differences), we were very unlucky and I'm chuffed to see we had the fight to get the two goals too.

On top of that, Hernandez has still got it. Wonderful goals.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Mon 21 Aug - 7:49

Just John wrote:Simply put, we're sh*t. Relegation six-pointer with WHU next week, Dolph.

You'll win if we dont have Kouyate and Lanzini. Reid being out is a big blow too. Fonte looks shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit still.

by **Hero** Mon 21 Aug - 9:20

Hernandez showed a great predatory instinct with those goals, the 2nd especially as that was not an easy shot at all to hit on the outside of the foot at such a quick reaction speed.

by Guest Mon 21 Aug - 20:44

Man C 0-1 Everton - Rooney

Walker sent off Laugh

by Fernando Mon 21 Aug - 20:48

Bobby Madley showing his quality refereeing by sending Walker off for backing into Calvert Lewin.

It's hilarious & a terrible decision.

by Duty281 Mon 21 Aug - 20:51

City look wild, angry and out of control. Far too desperate to thread through the final ball. Not a lot of team spirit on show.

Everton's direct approach is causing them a few problems, though I suppose they'll just need to be organised now to see it through. Old Wazza has done little of note, but he was in the right place for the goal.

Dismal decision to send off Walker.

by Duty281 Mon 21 Aug - 20:52

Holymiky wrote:Wow some actual praise on here for Chelsea, i'm surprised to say the least.

They should be retaining the title this season.

by Guest Mon 21 Aug - 21:43

Sterling needs to do a lot more of that. He should be looking at 15+ goals a season.

by Guest Mon 21 Aug - 21:48

Bobby Madley Laugh

by Fernando Mon 21 Aug - 21:49

That was some great Poopie from Aguero. He's a snide on the quiet.

Also what's with the Hurlock pic Freeky?

by Guest Mon 21 Aug - 21:49

Ref's having a shocker.

by Guest Mon 21 Aug - 21:52

Fernando wrote:That was some great Poopie from Aguero. He's a snide on the quiet.

Also what's with the Hurlock pic Freeky?

Just paying homage to the great man, Nando!

by Duty281 Mon 21 Aug - 21:59

Sterling injected some good impetus for City.

The second red card was a good call by the referee. Despite the 'got the ball' mantra that is preached by the Sky commentators, the Laws of the Game are quite clear that a reckless challenge (as the Everton defender's sliding tackle was) equals a yellow card.

Decent game on the whole. Everton should have backed themselves a little more.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue 22 Aug - 4:12

AGree with Morgan's red.

Thought Everton may have just shown the greatest sh*thouse performance of the season already (bar any West Brom game as they are transcendent). They were direct, dirty, snide and played mainly to defend. Nearly got away with it too

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