Premier League 2011-2012

[GLCQuantum]

Some good games on tonight.

A Sunderland vs Newcastle derby which rarely fails to entertain.

Newly promoted Swansea vs Relegation battlers Wigan

and the highlight for me...

Arsenal vs Liverpool

When I was about 6 I actually supported 2 teams for some reason: Spurs and Liverpool. Where I lived, the closest heard of team was Portsmouth (about 40 minutes away from us) so everyone supported different teams unlike growing up in certain parts of England. My dad hated football "Who wants to watch 20 odd men kicking a bag of wind about" ,but buckled to take me to my first game. As White Hart Lane was 3 or 4 hours closer than Merseyside it won the roll of the dice. After that day Liverpool took a back seat and Spurs were my hereos, but there is still a little love left for Liverpool....

Anyways on that note there's only one team I will be rooting for today...

[GLCQuantum]

Well done Liverpool,

Game was going a bit stale until the 70th minute. Second red card in as many games for Arsenal and with the introduction of Suarez and Mereiles (sp) you just kind of new there was only gonna be one outcome.

No goals for the first 2 games for Arsenal. 40 odd years since that's happened. Wenger must spend in this window or the fans are gonna get nasty.

[Terry]

As I am now exiled in Hanoi for a while, I have to watch my footy without English commentary or pundits. Everything in Vietnamese as you would expect – still I get the choice of most of the Premier League games live.
So – what delight to see l’Arse 0 – ‘poon 2
Big Kenny will of course be delighted to take the 3 points – on the other hand Le Whinger will of course be claiming that the pitch was too wet, or the ref farted in the wrong direction or maybe he just missed Cesc Fabregas!
Samir Nasri seemed the only one to put in a decent performance. Nice one City!
Van Rental (sorry – van Persie) and Arshavin seemed to be spent forces and as for the sent off Pingpong (methinks another Mohican with attitude) – it was a cockup waiting to happen.
Carroll seemed to be worth somewhat less than he cost but I guess we just witnessed a scrappy game with two scrappy goals
Needless to say that as a Spurs supporter it was a great result
Oh yes - it was also nice to see that all that rain did not spoil Sagna's hairdo

[BaaBaa.]

Thoughts Arcadian?

[Arcadian]

Thoughts Arcadian?

No doubt that the best team won, what else could I say? However your prediction that Carroll and Suarez would rip the defence apart was a bit off the mark. For a big lump Carroll spent most of the match losing out to Vermaelen or on his backside. How much did he cost?
I hope that Wenger can now see what most other people foresaw a long time ago. Previous weak spot, goalkeeping, seems to have been solved. Arshavin probably enjoyed the game as a spectator and Walcott worse than useless on the day, the Liverpool defence didn`t have much to do and will have harder games in the future.

[BaaBaa.]

I thought Suarez scored?

Carroll got nothing off the ref imho, big guys seem to have to play under different rules, I've seen it before with Crouch in Europe. Thought he had a reasonable game personally.

Agree on your keeper, I said exactly the same thing to a mate at halftime, problem solved I think.

That Frimpong is a shithouse though!

[dtaai-maai]

I think Arcadian's summary is very (remarkably?) honest. Arsenal were excrementally awful, so much so that it was impossible to make any real assessment of Liverpool. I doubt anyone is quivering with fear at the prospect of facing either team.
I agree that Carol looked pretty, sorry I mean pretty ordinary (he has yet to live up to his price tag), as did Adam. The youngsters looked OK, but what did they have to worry about? Not much, apart from Nasri occasionally. Kuyt looked good and worked hard as usual, but I've always liked him - great asset for Liverpool over the years.

[BaaBaa.]

Outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates and had more possession and a few players are judged as having poor games?

Jesus wept!

That Arsenal defence will have just known they'd had a game against Carroll, the pricetag doesn't concern me, he's 22 and a potential beast.

[GLCQuantum]

Everton off to a losing start then. First half they created a good few chances and were unlucky to go in a goal down at half time. Second half QPR were good for the points, didn't create many chances but were solid and worked there socks off.

One plus to take away from the game for Everton fans is their new kid Ross Barkley. At 17 it was his first game in the premiership and put in a great performance. We'll for sure be hearing this kids name more and more over the next few years.

[redzonerocker]

Outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates and had more possession and a few players are judged as having poor games?

Outplayed?
We conceded a lot of possession but were hardly under the cosh, except maybe for the last 20 minutes when we were down to ten men & even then, only after we conceded.
& we had to score for you

Considering we had half a team missing, we did ok up until the red card/first goal.

That Arsenal defence will have just known they'd had a game against Carroll,.

The Verminator made him look pretty ordinary.
He does have potential but not as a lone striker leading the line, needs a second striker to work with.
I was amazed Suarez didn't start


Maybe now AW will start to splash the cash

[BaaBaa.]

Suarez was having a rest after winning the Copa!

Yes, out played. Who would you say was the better side?

All you Carroll haters better get used to him being England's number 9 for the next 10 years.

[redzonerocker]

Yes, out played. Who would you say was the better side?

You were, but not by any great margin considering that's probably the weakest & most inexperienced squad we've ever put out in the prem & it certainly wasn't a totally one sided game

We currently look like a mid table team, so it's no great scalp

If we field the same mob at OT next week, we really will get slaughtered

All you Carroll haters better get used to him being England's number 9 for the next 10 years.

I'm not in that gang.
I think he's a good player & will be a key player at LFC & for England, though he's not in the £35 million bracket.
I do think his fitness level needs improving though.

[caller]

BaaBaa,

Just bide your time!

Nothing could be gained from todays game as to the strength or otherwise or Liverpool, or from last weeks game.

Arsenal, as expected, were woeful.

Wenger, quite frankly, is next to useless at the moment and ever since he lost his inherited defence, that has been his weak spot.

How can you get to the 2nd week of the season, a week before the window closes and have only bought three kids, with the teams obvious weaknesses not being addressed and 1/2 of your best players leaving.

Its a farce.

[dtaai-maai]

I don't think anybody hates Carroll, BaaBaa, except maybe some Newcastle (and now some Man U) fans. There's nothing really to hate.
He's a very good forward who will probably be the England no. 9 for a while. "He's a big, strong boy - 'e puts imself abaht." I just don't think he's good enough to be a Great or that he was worth anything like 35 squillion.
I'd rate him above Darren Bent, but not by all that much, and how much did Darren Bent cost - also way too much.

And if England (and LFC) can't find anyone better to lead the line for the next 10 years, then it'll be a sorry state of affairs all round!

[redzonerocker]

Wenger, quite frankly, is next to useless at the moment and ever since he lost his inherited defence, that has been his weak spot.

The 2003/04 invincibles back five were Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole.

If you're gonna make statements like that, at least have the facts

Though i do agree it has become a bit of a farce
I really do believe he's slightly lost the plot.
It's not as if he's got to bring in that many players, just a few of good quality & experience.