NAMING RIGHTS THREAD: Liverpool really won't win the Premiership 2010-2011

It's almost as if there's no conspiracy, just human error that evens itself out in the long run.

and maybe, just maybe people are more likely to notice decisions that go United's way rather than the other way round. I mean the ten minutes injury time will be largely forgotten about now, cos United were winning at the time.

Whereas if it had been 2-2 and United had scored a winner in the 100th minute that would be yet more evidence of the influence of lizard men secretly ruining our beloved game.

Gonna shoot for a tediously McNulty-like middle ground here and hazard a guess that referees are less flagrantly pro-Man Utd than Liverpool fans claim they are and more pro-Man Utd than Man Utd fans claim they are.

surely Dad Fucking Dowie btw, opportunity missed

kind of cool visualization of the premiership table
http://www.footytables.com/index.php?league=1

yes!

shows how far Utd are ahead.

So all this talk of Chelsea being back in it is rubbish right? I guess if they beat Utd twice they are still 4 points behind Utd and 5 behind Arsenal. And that is if they beat Utd twice, which is seemingly impossible for anyone atm ;_;

Chelsea are still in it in the same way that Man City and Spurs are still in it.

Spurs are keeping the pressure firmly on Man Utd, one mistake from them and the title is theirs, according to 'arry.

Thanks Harlan for posting the link to the visualization of the premiership table. I actually created the visualization and would love to get feedback from you guys on it's use/any improvements you'd like to see etc. Cheers, Johno

Trying again with a working link!

Thanks Harlan for posting the link to the visualization of the premiership table. I actually created the visualization and would love to get feedback from you guys on it's use/any improvements you'd like to see etc. Cheers, Johno

Well done John, it's great. I don't know that there's much improvement you can make because its beauty is in its simplicity, but maybe you could take goal difference into account via e.g. font size?

Could do another one with Wolves about half way up.

Didn't see the game tonight, but am wondering what positions Meireles and Gerrard played and in what system. Also Lucas not in the squad at all? Injured? Suspended? Ah well, glad for the win, and 7th place is nice. If we can somehow finish 6th that would be about par for the course considering the top 5 all have better squads than us.

I wasn't watching closely because I was cooking, but it seemed to be Poulsen holding, Meireles box-to-box, Maxi wide left, Gerrard and Kuyt roaming side-to-side behind Torres and getting in each other's way a little. They played well in bits but again looked under hell of a pressure late on. Fulham looked pretty solid but the goal has to be seen to be believed, it was much worse than it looked.

Anyway, after all that that's us back where Rafa left us.

Lucas has a thigh injury. Not seen the game yet so can't comment on formation or individual performances.

feels like these results under Roy wouldn't have been much different at all but easy to say that i know

Performances have been much better though.

I'd agree with that in theory xp, except that the players look clearly buoyed up now which probably counts for a lot. Meireles was excellent again, I bet Gerrard hates him.

Meireles was excellent again, I bet Gerrard hates him.

lol. ok when liverpool supporters say things like this.

as much as i talk shit about liverpool, i do admire dalglesh and i'm glad to see he is trying to integrate his attacking players. <3 hodgson and i think i am his last defender on here but

So VDS has decided this is his last season (RIP big guy, proper ledge) while Scholes and Neville look unlikely to go for another 1 year contract. All while the developments supposedly promised when the Rooney saga (i.e. some signings) doesn't look likely at least in this window. And... I don't really have a point. Utd fans ok with this Kuszcak, Rafael and Gibson worthy replacements? How is Smalling doing btw?

Are Man Utd one of the zillion clubs touted to be in for Allan McGregor? He's a right good keeper, and perhaps the threat of a boot in the face from Lord Ferg might curb his excesses a touch. And, from a purely selfish point of view, I'd rather Rangers were left with Neil Alexander in goal instead.

Scholes has been a bit part player this season really but I'd be surprised if he wasn't kept on for another year anyway. Neville obviously not but Rafael looks good enough to play there. They'll sign a goalkeeper and another midfielder regardless of the financial situation.

Also Gael Kakuta to Fulham on loan looks like good work for all concerned, since he could well be amazing.

Manure are after de gea from atletico. That rapist greegsy is good but doesn't have de gea's quality or potential.

Struck me the other day that chances must be that Ferguson will retire in the summer, with the 19th title in the bag already. Then you see him ranting about Blackpool getting a contentious throw-in, and there's no way he's going voluntarily.

who is greegsy?

also 19th not in the bag fyi, still got chelsea twice and city&arsenal iirc

Interesting reports about Mourinho supposedly angling for an imminent return to the EPL - would ManU install him if available this summer, or would they risk him going to City?

Last I heard it was Arsenal in for McGregor (that's Greegsy's Sunday name a hoy hoy). Heard a snippet on the radio about Walter Smith saying he was going nowhere but it was only the other week that Walter Smith said he doesn't make those decisions.

If VDS, Schole and Neville retire that'll be a shitload of freed up wages for losing only one stick on first team player.

For all Scholes' passing ability and vision the game is now passing him by. The midfield is regularly over-run with him in it.

Charlie Adam's inevitable mediocre career following an ill-advised move to Birmingham is going to be heartbreaking.

I reckon Mourinho is holding out for the Man United job and he won't ever get that if he moves to City. City doesn't really feel prestigious enough for him now. On the other hand, where else is there to go after Inter and Real?

lol arsenal ever signing a scottish person ever again

Who was the last, Charlie Nicholas?

Well Utd have already signed a new keeper in Anders Lindegaard. No idea if he's first team calibre though. Can't see Gibson staying and Cleverly and Welbeck will both be coming back from their loan spells. Smalling vacillates between looking extremely assured and scarily incompetent but i reckon he's gonna make it. Offers more of an attacking threat than Johnny Evans as well.

xp They had Scott Marshall in the 1990s.

didnt schmiechal himself come out and say that lindegaard is rubbish and a less funny version of bebe money laundering w/ soskjaer or whoever does their dealings over there?

I don't think he said that.

well he said he was rubbish and he didnt understand them signing him and its a post-bebe world so he might have said the last part

Peter Schmeichel has always struck me as a massive twat, Utd legend and all that he is. He did say something along those lines though yes. I expect Utd will also be getting rid of the likes of Wes Brown and possibly Carrick in the summer which will free up more wages. Oh and Hargreaves and Owen too.

Schmeichel, widely recognised as the greatest goalkeeper in United's history, was asked whether his compatriot Lindegaard was of sufficient quality to play for England's biggest club. "No," he replied. "We are talking about Manchester United here. You can look at talent, you can look at young good players, [but] you don't want that, you want someone who can go in straight away and give performances in 80% of the games that the number one choice goalkeeper will play for Manchester United.

"Too many goalkeepers have been through, in and out of the doors at Manchester United, and the general perception is, for this team to play well and win trophies, that position has to be [filled by] someone who is of the very, very highest quality but also the right experience."

So yeah, he said he isn't an absolute top quality keeper and United need one. He's more likely to be at Tim Howard level (competent, not good enough).

post bebe world

hey we have 6m to spend on a keeper, how about asenjo or eneymea - oh wait how about some guy no-one rates or cares about

hey we will only get value in the market, and we have about 9m to spend on an attacking midfielder - hey boss we could get baptista and pienaar for that and still have some left over. yes but do they compare to a homeless guy?

Utd fans ok with this Kuszcak, Rafael and Gibson worthy replacements? How is Smalling doing btw?

Kuszcak is on the way out. Gibson is shite, but inexplicably still gets played every now and then - I assume this is to push up his sell-on value. Rafael looks very good. Smalling looks like he might be good in the future, but isn't quite ready yet.

Of the old guard, G Neville is clearly not good enough any more and he knows it. According to one of the fanzines he was seen out in a pub on a Friday night late last year and a fan asked him why he was drinking the night before a match. He said it was because he wasn't picked and he was asked why. His reply "because I used to be good, but now I'm shit."

Giggs is still playing really well. Scholes is hit and miss. Ferguson seems to have something against Wes Brown and just won't play him.

Peter Schmeichel has always struck me as a massive twat, Utd legend and all that he is.

I've heard this, too.

Surely Lindegaard is just a new sub keeper to replace Kuszcak, who wants to leave if he can't play regularly? You can tell he is actually, because he's talking about wanting to establish himself as United #1, which clearly isn't in the club's plan.

Charlie Adam's inevitable mediocre career following an ill-advised move to Birmingham is going to be heartbreaking.

Dunno about that, Ratboy Ferguson has done quite well there under Big Eck

Of the old guard, G Neville is clearly not good enough any more and he knows it. According to one of the fanzines he was seen out in a pub on a Friday night late last year and a fan asked him why he was drinking the night before a match. He said it was because he wasn't picked and he was asked why. His reply "because I used to be good, but now I'm shit."

Ha, this is great

Well ever since Ronaldo left I've looked at that Utd team and thought there's a weakness here, there's a weakness there, Giggs won't be good this year etc etc Yet they still seem to carry on regardless. The performances in the first half of the season felt like the inevitable slow downward spiral but they've improved since then, Berbatov has become the only serious contender to Nasri for footballer of the year, and even though I think they'll still come unstuck in Europe, they'll still win the League with games in hand I reckon.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/pfa-player-of-the-year

gareth bale, honorary englishman

Berbatov has become the only serious contender to Nasri for footballer of the year

vdv and tevez?