Moneyball won't win the Premiership 2012-13

suarez has a better injury record than torres, so unless sturridge has got some good voodoo dolls i doubt he envisages suarez spending too much time injured

deems, i would like to see rodgers try that but he does seem really attached to 4-3-3

if he could overcome his prejudices, then playing a 4-4-2 at anfield, especially vs poorer sides, could give sturridge enough game time to prevent him sulking, while retaining the 4-3-3 for more difficult games (in which sturridge would become part of the wing rotation)

At home he could tuck Sturridge in from the right a bit so that he's essentially playing alongside Suarez as long as Johnson is providing the attacking width from the right. Would leave the team v open to the counter down that side though unless Lucas shades towards that side (i think he's more comfortable shading left tho')

I didn't really see AVB playing 4-4-2 either but that's been happening lately. They have to do something - Liverpool are really over-reliant on Suarez for goals at the moment, and Rodgers has shown willingness to tinker and experiment and gradually improve things throughout the season. He might genuinely move Suarez if it means more goals overall, and Suarez's approach play is obviously fantastic.

not listened to it yet but apparently rodgers hinted in an interview the other day that he's planning on moving suarez out wide at some point.

I'm at Craven Cottage. It's quite pretty in the rain.

A win today and you'll be right on their tail. Fulham haven't accrued very much for their good start to the season.

im watching sunderland city

Fuck's sake: Scholes and Giggs starting. Are we actually trying to lose? (Ah, right on cue while I'm typing we've gone behind already)

lol, just checked BBC site saw Scholes/Giggs starting and came here to see if #0 or NBS had posted yet.

normal service resumed however.

hahaha Berba's wearing a t-shirt that reads "Keep Calm and pass me the ball"

wtf is it with masking pop-ups that you can't switch off? I missed that og drama entirely

Trying, and failing, to summon the will to watch Stoke/LFC this evening.

lol that's got to be offside

Wonder what's the most amount of goals Utd have conceded in a league season this century? Are they on pace?

Perhaps naively, I'm looking forward to tonight's game. I figure eventually this fixture has got to produce something worth watching.

always chris fucking brunt, rifled in from long distance out of nothing

p dogged stodge before that but we were making the play

mulumbu is such a pain in the arse, bloody everywhere

These Utd stats, I didn't realise it was so bad - they're heading for 54 or 55 conceded at this rate. Last beaten with 63 in 1979. Otherwise it's 47 in 1987 and 1985; 45 in 2002, 2004, 1991 and 1987.

where is the fitba players u hate thread

Nothing else over forty I don't think.

i wanna add craig gardner

Xp - don't know. The first half of 01/02 featured quite a few defeats, Newcastle got 4 and Arsenal got 3 iirc (and maybe Liverpool too?), so that might be up there, but second half of the season was much better, so maybe not. Similar story in 02/03.

if you dont hate craig gardner, fuck you

(that took so long to type on my phone it was totally superseded by IK's post)

IK - how many conceded when Utd got relegated (in 74)?

I assume Utd are going to tighten up at some point this year, not that they need to with so many points. It's plain weird that they're nearly past most recent seasons already.

That second Newcastle goal though, I don't see how that can't be offside. Interfering with play has got to mean more than 'touching the ball', else the rules have changed without me twigging and we all end up spouting shite like Jamie Redknapp eventually.

Only 48, nbs - you were second-lowest scorers with just 38 though.

I don't know where Yoshida learned to pass, but I fucking hope he kept the receipt. Actually pretty even game apart from their goal and, well, Yoshida.

Some classic ranting from Ferguson at the linesman straight away there. He must've seen the replay immediately on halftime, impressive to keep the fires red-hot for fifteen minutes.

There will be a dodgy call for Utd at some point now, is that even worth pointing out?

there will be at least 2 actually

time to bet on a 94th min man city win

actually may wait until it's 85th mins

hart being shit again

Bugger, if Utd win this

nastasic cleans out that worthless subhuman gardner but thankfully only gets booked

ah that's why betfair was suspended for a while for that game

harry sacked in the morning

2 down to the most absurd goal

vertical ball coming right down green's throat on the goal line, marc fortune pushes his arse out and pushes green and the ball in

fuck off

green is still a pathetic cunt for whatever limp wristed effort that was supposed to be but it's a totally illegal goal

fergie sacked in the morning

saved his job

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xw7y10_rec-141#.UNsmReRNWHc

paul walsh on an incredible eb farnham trip

ah fuck off, I can barely even get disappointed about this shit anymore

shat it

Ah Utd, so reliable. On pace for 92 points! Barely believable.

ah fuck off, I can barely even get disappointed about this shit anymore

Are you raging about the 9 minutes of Pardew time?

threw a decent kitchen sink at it last 15 mins but no undeserved dice

still, we were this dead & buried last season til liverpool came to town so SUNDAY BITCHES BRING IT ON

I always feel embarrassed for refs who leave a ton of injury time at Old Trafford only for Utd to get the winner immediately, and then they have Ferguson bellowing for an early whistle the whole time