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

crediting ken that it was entirely deliberate btw

xpost oh excellent Matt u changed it

http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition6/images/oppen_large.jpg

Arsenal haven't looked particularly convincing for a while, but they've picked up points. Lots of crappy cup draws. But the Barcelona result obscures everything. I had wondered how Wenger got Manager of the Month in Feb, but looking at form nobody else really deserved it - no idea how Chelsea are so high when they've still been largely awful.

Maybe Avram Grant shoulda had it.

United strong second half of the season is a bit overplayed. Didn't help them last year, when Chelsea came from behind with a tougher run-in.

Though somebody did once tell me that United under Ferguson since about 1992 have never had more than five bad results in a row, and that has proved to be amazingly accurate.

Still, if they lose to Marseille, they'll all suddenly start remembering how much they hate the Glazers again.

5 bad results in a row is bad.

This united spell is v similar to the 08/09 one, thrashing from Liverpool included. So yeah they'll still win the league. They're horrendous tho, Chelsea, Arsenal, anyone, don't let this happen.

Hadn't realised that United still have to play Arsenal and then Chelsea back to back in the league, could be huge. Although Arsenal's next fixture after than United game is Stoke away and we know how much they like that.

CAGE MATCH CAGE MATCH

Yup, Arsenal thumping United then losing to Stoke, Villa and Fulham seems almost inevitable.

"adn't realised that United still have to play Arsenal and then Chelsea back to back in the league"

basis for my £15 bet on arsenal winning the league. i'll bet the other way immediately after arsenal thump united though to hedge the bet against stoke.

(bet was made before united lost to chelsea btw. turning out quite well so far)

what price did you get?

3.25 on betfair.. so 9/4? (pretty good i thought given the position)

although it's actually still 2/1 now (arsenal's game in hand isn't valued so highly)

2/1 in a two horse race isn't bad I guess

exactly.

Steve Kean has one game to save his job, say various papers.

http://chart.finance.yahoo.com/z?s=VENKYS.BO&t=6m&q=l&l=off&z=l&p=s&a=v&p=s&lang=en-US®ion=US

Venky's share price since just before they bought Blackburn

torres is rubbish isn't he.

expecting a hat-trick v city at the weekend of course.

abject. hopelessly out of form and confidence. at one point in the first half there was a 3v2 situation and he ran away from goal, forcing drogba the wrong way

I feel sorry for him, it must feel pretty lousy.

Watching yesterday the thought occurred that Suarez is very nearly Nando at his best - not quite such a thoroughbred maybe, but hell of a quick and effective. Carroll is going to have to be seriously woeful for Liverpool to have lost out in that particular deal.

I thought just getting away from us would give him an instant boost. Never thought I'd get that into a player. I feel sorry for him. God I even feel bad for calling him rubbish!

is this bad photoshop or are his limbs wasting away?
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/51569000/jpg/_51569490_kalou_ap_466.jpg

http://oi51.tinypic.com/rvjalc.jpg

ok i lolled

'arry ain't dun nuffink, 'onest:

“I’m not a paedophile, I’m not a bank robber, I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s scandalous what I’ve had to go through. I will wait for it to finish, and I’ll have my say. I just want to get it out the way and move on, it’s been difficult to concentrate on the job at times but I’ve managed to do it.

“It affects me, but if you know you’ve done something, it would affect me more. People who know me can’t believe this is happening.

“I think people get the wrong impression. They don’t know you. And because you’re a cockney or whatever I dunno. I don’t live my life the way some people probably think I do. It’s strange really. Nobody could lead a quieter life than I do. I’ve been married 44 years. We walk our dogs, that’s what we do.

"If I wasn’t working here I could easily live in Cornwall or somewhere, cut ourselves off. That’s how we are, me and my wife. We don’t go to parties, we don’t socialise really.

Wenger's shagging a waitress fwiw?

Lots of Chelsea fans reckon Malouda, Kalou and Drogba were deliberately not passing to Torres. I thought they all played so badly, it's impossible to tell. (Actually, Kalou was great, but never knows where he's passing at the best of times.)

torres took every pass wide last night, whether it was good, bad or indifferent. He'll come good.

If I had the choice between passing to Torres and passing to someone who might do something with it then I'd pass to the good player as well. Although it's more likely that Drogba's just butthurt.

I'd to imagine that professional footballers don't think that way - and for the most part they clearly don't otherwise Bendtner would be in a lot of trouble - but nothing really surprises me.

I think I recall that when Bergkamp was at Inter there were stories of at least one of the players always giving him 50/50 passes.

You do hear about players refusing to pass to certain teammates, but it's a total mindfuck for the likes of me to get my head round. I'm not buying it though.

Torres was very good against United, but his touch was terrible last night. The pitch and poor service didn't help, but it was a bad individual performance. But everybody was pretty poor, with the exception of Terry, Essien and Ramires.

Torres is going to be a different sort of player for Chelsea to what he was at Liverpool and the key is taking advantage of his movement, which Lampard and Kalou were able to do. Definitely think that Drogba-Torres isn't going to work and DD will have to go in the summer.

I reserve the right to change my mind three more times before the end of the season.

Pennant wants to play for Ireland apparently. Worth a shot IMO,

we're well catered for wingers, tho his pace is an option

More eager to get o'hara rly

Has Pennant really never been capped for England? Even in the days when Sven would give anyone a cap a meaningless friendly?

You can have Pennant and we can have James McCarthy back. Fair? (xp)

yeah we're probably as well to, because trap's only actin the cunt with him too.

Things Harry Redknapp is not:

A wheeler dealer
A bank robber
A paedophile

first denial would cause you serious concerns over the other two

Lots of Chelsea fans reckon Malouda, Kalou and Drogba were deliberately not passing to Torres.

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%22pass+to+torres%22

So, Pastore being heavily linked with Utd today. Anyone with more knowledge of Serie A want to tell me if he's any good?

― Number None, Monday, 7 March 2011 15:36 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

He really is. I mean he is obviously playing at a club a lot below his level, so I cannot say for certain how good he genuinely is or can be but from what I've seen, it is basically Kaka Pt. 2 with his speed and the way he runs and the way he works towards attacking, you know? He most probably wouldn't fit in properly at Arsenal or Barca but more with Chelsea or Inter - he's too 'effective' in the way he thinks. I have no idea if this makes any sense btw.

It's most probably bullshit anyway, the Utd rumours i mean, considering the fee being touted is 34m. What i wouldn't give for a bit of creativity in that midfield though.

would still worry for modric/bale double bid

there's no value in the market.

Ozil being sold for 12m or whatever still baffles me

contract running out, wasnt it?

How are Modric and Bale's contracts?

Bale's under contract until 2014 and will probably get a offered new one with a load more money very soon. Modric is still contracted for a couple of years.