Kenny Dalglish Won't Be Delivering the Module: English Premiership 2011-12

Lampard always starts the season slowly, but I do worry he's in terminal decline. But he's surprised me many times before and is smart enough to adapt. Played okay second half when we changed shape and pushed him further forward.

Don't think Torres will get double figures this year.

I know. Even last season I think he was only one short of double figures for Liverpool. It's a catastrophic decline.

His movement is good, his pace is fine, his touch is very good and his head isn't going down as easily as it was last season, but it's all happening outside the area.

Drogba's looking half the player he used to be, but at least he still seems dangerous.

Early days I know, but what about AVB so far? He doesn't seem to have much of a presence, which is great if the team is ticking but looks bad (in this country at least) when it's not.

Don't you think that once they bring in Mata or Modric, or even give Benayoun more than 15' at a time, Torres will make forward/diagonal runs for through passes instead of dropping deep, and the goals will come?

RVP looks similarly neutered with a less creative midfield so far this season.

should sign angle wrangle in case boswingers gets crocked

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Not really sure, not been paying that much attention to be honest and don't think I've seen him interviewed, but he made positive changes today which is a big improvement on Carlo. Decent, early subs and changed formation to get the win.

People who have been at press conferences tell me he comes over very well. But he's not had to manage a club through a bad patch yet and that will be the test. I think we've taken him on at least one season too early, and am already wondering who'll be in charge in 2013.

can't remember where i heard/read this (probably here) but hasn't there been some rumours avb's been frustrated how slowly the lads are picking up his instructions

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The lack of service argument is the big one for Torres, I really don't know. He got plenty of that in the World Cup for Spain and looked shite.

I would like to see Benayoun play more, but the big problem is Lampard. Such a great player, any manager has to respect his history when thinking about how to change the attacking focus of the team, and that isn't going to be easy at all.

Mata, if he signs and nsettles, will surely create more space, but it's more about how slowly they collectively move the ball - not sure how quick/easy that is to change.

'can't remember where i heard/read this (probably here) but hasn't there been some rumours avb's been frustrated how slowly the lads are picking up his instructions'

yeah, I think this is again to do with moving the ball more quickly. They're struggling with it.

Don't you think that once they bring in Mata or Modric, or even give Benayoun more than 15' at a time, Torres will make forward/diagonal runs for through passes instead of dropping deep, and the goals will come?

RVP looks similarly neutered with a less creative midfield so far this season.

― boxall, Saturday, 20 August 2011 20:25 (4 minutes ago)

this is probably correct

villas boas is in a very awkward situation right now though, since he is obliged to play torres even though drogba is probably better adapted to playing in front of a crappy midfield and making his own chances

they are completely stacked with #9s, anelka is the only one who has been successful on the wing yet he seems to be in decline too and the right wing looks exposed

i'm not sure what his starting defence will be if alex is sold but there are enough good players there to be reasonably secure

the midfield is really lumpen right now though, ramires looks like an overextended utility player, a lesser owen hargeaves, lampard is at an age when terminal decline is to be expected and mikel still seems to be playing within himself

god knows if essien will ever get back to his 07-09 form even if he does come back this season, benayoun is alright but not exactly at the level of nasri, nanri, silva, and mceachran still looks a bit raw

so yeah villas boas is probably being asked to do too much and they'd probably need a canny old fuck like hiddimk to wring a title challenge out of them

that's all assuming they do get modric and mata.....modric is such a natural midfield gelling agent and should combine well with whoever, mata is great but i'm not sure how they will use him

http://i51.tinypic.com/zxjjnd.gif

need to get rid of the hideous charlie adam from the first post itt

Arsene does take a great OH FFS picture.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54719000/jpg/_54719266_54719262.jpg

facepalm d'or

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2011/8/20/1313863313827/Arsene-Wenger-007.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2011/8/20/1313855273570/Tommy-Smith-celebrates-wi-007.jpg

graun makes scrapping past everton look so tender ;_;

AGYEMANG IS THE KEY

the little notch out of the top of the sunderland shirt makes it look like they're ready to

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/625/233315-hulk_hogan___ripping_shirt_as_champ___copy_large.jpg

That Coloccini tackle, nasty.

"Coming into English football from overseas is never going to be easy for a goalkeeper, particularly if he doesn't get any protection from the referee," the United manager said. "I remember Schmeichel screaming like a pig for more protection when we played Wimbledon when he first came here."

cracking goal for Agbonlahor, tho Fatty could perhaps have gotten a hand to it.

i will stop finding goodwillie funny
i will stop finding goodwillie funny
i will stop finding goodwillie funny
i will stop finding goodwillie funny

pretty dark lols considering the rape thing.

rapist van goodwillie

i hadnt been considering the rape thing, believe it or not

david van injury.

wairraminute.

who's this new ranhel bloke playing for swansea, he looks alright

also his name is angel rangel.

@themichaelowen
Just watched the Sunderland v Newcastle match on Sky. Some great performances but none better than referee, Howard Webb. Top display.

lol

wait how was howard webb playing in the newcastle derby

so, own goal out to liv, webb out to newcastle?

RE: Chelsea - harsh on Ramires, he's much better than Hargreaves and is exactly what we need in midfield, lots of energy and pace in midfield, good technique, shuttling up and down.

Essien has always been over-rated - too inconsistent for me.

Mikel I love but wish he'd step over halfway with the ball more - but I say that every summer.

But Sturridge and Mata could make a big difference to the front four. No idea how they will line up if Modric signs as well. Cautiously excited - at least there are more options this season. But can't see a finish higher than 3rd.

i found this liverpool/arsenal match report really irritating: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/20/arsenal-liverpool-premier-league

i'm not saying andy carroll had a wonder game or anything but the guy's thesis from early on is that he was shit and isn't working, so he says:

with fewer crosses landing on Carroll's forehead than Dalglish must have been hoping, it was perhaps significant that the nearest Liverpool came to taking the lead in the first half was a shot from exactly halfway by Charlie Adam, one that had Szczesny back-pedalling, but that flew a couple of feet too high.

he just ignores the andy carroll header which chesney had to make prob his best save of the game to.

also he calls it a "barely deserved" victory which i find to be bullshit too, they were the better team even if it was a scrappy game.

Certainly, the Arsenal fans initially had cause to be worried when Miquel mistimed his jump and failed to cut out the first Stewart Downing cross he had to deal with, leaving Carroll a free header that Wojciech Szczesny had to dive to save. It turned out not to be a portent of what was to come.

that's the sentence immediately before your quote fyi

yeah tho why does he say the adam shot was the nearest they came to taking the lead, when that header was obviously. or the henderson chance.

yeah ok his thesis is a little skewed towards damning carroll & route one rather than looking at how meireiles coming on + no frimpong loosened up the final third, but there's no argument you lot were pretty clunky before that

i thought we passed it well actually, just didn't have a huge amount in the final third. largely i thought it was encouraging, they're trying to play in a way they haven't for a long time. just needs meireles starting obviously, as i said during the game i think kuyt is fairly problematic in a side trying to move the ball quickly. he doesn't give it away but he takes an age to do anything on the ball.

also we didn't really go route one to carroll thar often, to me the prob was we were passing it about and he's not offering any option on the ground.

I doubt Dalglish picked that starting XI with sparkling football in mind. Seems obvious to me why he'd go for a more conservative approach against even a weaker Arsenal side than usual.

not sure henderson instead of meireles gives you added steel though.

Terrible season for Spurs so far, only just above the drop zone.

Quite enjoying watching everyone else being shite from a mythical high ground so far. No doubt this will be brutally punctured on Monday.

Arsenal have won just two games in the Premiership since February, which doesn't seem to have been pointed out. That's not just a dodgy start to the season, that's a wider general torpor.

really? fuck

need to maintain our Champ League challenge today tbh

Arsenal have won just two games in the Premiership since February, which doesn't seem to have been pointed out. That's not just a dodgy start to the season, that's a wider general torpor.

'Manager out' form at any other club imo.

there are extenuating circumstances