2011/2012 English Premier League

[luds]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I see Arsenal improving drastically in the second half of the season. They have loads of good midfield options once Wilshere is healthy. This kid Frimapong looks like the real deal, as does this O.....-Chamberlian kid. Ramsey, Arteta,and Walcott are plenty good and Song is very solid.
Certainly they need another striker, but I suspect Wenger will find one come Jan. Their defensive backline is not bad, the problem has been injury and Wenger's foot to the floor attack philosophy leaving them exposed. But put Frimapong and Song in D mid, Wilshere in front of them, run OC and Walcott wide, with VP and Gervinho (or whoever they buy in Jan....Forlan perhaps?) at attack and they will be a very hard team to beat once they start to mesh.

I don't see Tottenham getting better than they are now. Liverpool will improve some with Gerard, but I think Daglish blew it giving away Meriles and Aqualani. He has built his team around Carroll and is going to be stuck with a 4-4-2 using "next step down" wingers like Downing and Henderson, when he could have played a formidable 4-3-3 using Kuyt, Suarez, and Carroll up front, Gerard, Meriles, and Lucas behind. Bad move, I suspect, their attack becomes too predictable and Suarez (their best player) becomes a second choice target.

I see Chelsea improving as well, but I don't think ManU will maintain the level of play they began the season with (remember last year how well Chelsea started), and I think Man City will self-destruct at some point.

I'll predict the season ending with Chelsea over ManU at the top, then Man City, then Arsenal squeaking by Tottenham at the wire.

Whatever, it will be fun and plenty interesting. Play on.

I agree with everything you said other than maybe the comments on the Arsenal back line. When healthy they have the talent but their defensive strategy scares me. Maybe it's because of the injuries and a lack of cohesiveness because they don't have a unit that has played together enought but their team defense is very suspect. I like when teams hold a high line but they don't do it well and seemed to get burned doing it every week. Anyone team makes penetrating runs seems to abuse them heavily.

Man U has a depth issue. I keep saying it. They need to spend in January on the midfield but I think that's unlikely. Man City needs to implode soon and get over it quickly. If it happens late in the year I agree they have problems. Despite embarrassing the embarrassing moments Torres and Chelsea look better and better every week. They also have healthy competition within the team and if you watched them play united a couple weeks ago you know they out played United. If Man U slips up enough I think Chelsea has a great shot but I'm not counting out City either.

Not sure what to say about Liverpool but dropping Meriles definitely hurt them. It might have had something to do with team safety though. That guy just makes me think Dinero Taxi Driver every time I see him. Forgetting what game it was but after a goal this year he went on a little hissy fit yelling and flipping off fans. He's a nut but he is a fast nut!

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by luds

Man U has a depth issue. I keep saying it. They need to spend in January on the midfield but I think that's unlikely.!

I see this as well. Right now their most irreplaceable player....hard to believe....is Anderson. He is the guy who connects all their outstanding attacking players. Without him, they become very average in the middle. Carrick can distribute, but does so from a much deeper position than Anderson which is a disadvantage much of the time. Anderson is no star, but he does a crucial job for ManU and I don't see anybody backing him up. That is why Snyder made such good sense. Ferguson may well regret not pulling the trigger on that deal.

[luds]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I see this as well. Right now their most irreplaceable player....hard to believe....is Anderson. He is the guy who connects all their outstanding attacking players. Without him, they become very average in the middle. Carrick can distribute, but does so from a much deeper position than Anderson which is a disadvantage much of the time. Anderson is no star, but he does a crucial job for ManU and I don't see anybody backing him up. That is why Snyder made such good sense. Ferguson may well regret not pulling the trigger on that deal.

Yeah. I don't think it was United's decision to not aquire Sneider. Inter said publicly that they would not both part with Eto'o and Sneider and Eto'o went to a russian club. I was surprised to see you consider that Forlan might end up in an Arsenal shirt. I would be surprised to see Inter part with him so quickly but I have not followed his progress with them at all.

[numbskull]

My bad. I thought Forlan was still in Spain.