Football Season 2008/2009 starts today!

Keegan hasn't gone, and it looks now as though he won't.  I hope not anyway...I have a practically suicidal best mate over this whole saga (Geordie's get emotional you know!).

I am disturbed about the City take over...this could change the face of English footy even more than the Abramovcic takeover did.  Worrying.

I would have liked us to make a few more buys, but the way things are, no one can compete with the money of Chelski or Middle-Eastlands!

Vicky

I'm upset over the whole Man City buy too. I think it'll just get worse from here. :/ 

No longer is football based on the best teams/best managed teams and team work. Money is the key now, and if you've got the money you can just buy all the good players and put together an all star team that will just thrash the league...not fair. Bad enough Man U wins almost everything as it is.

How are teams going to go up leagues if when they do they get done in straight away and go back down by not being able to compete with the money/amazing players that are bought up. boo.

Hiya

Told yer Kevin Keagan had 'gone' ! 

Steph - thats the theory anyway, throw loads of money at something and increase the chances of success - at least, that's what Chelsea think!

Real world is of course that is doesn't quite work that way, just look at Chelsea! for the millions upon millions in signings since mr moneybags arrived in 2003, they haven't done as well as the company balance sheets would theoretically want them achieving!

Man City will 'probably' be the same - sure there'll be signings and a high profile manager going there, and maybe they will go on to win the premiership..     but we've heard 'money is no object before' .. a la Man Utd, then Liverpool's foreign owners like to say...

Anything in the 'top flight' sports or whatever, is always about the money - remember, sport is a business.. 

DtM! West London & Slough UK!  - Come on Liverpool !!!

GUTTED about King Kev.  Absolutely gutted.

 :\\\'(

As for CCity....do you remember Jack Walker at Blackburn?  Bought the title, then he buggered off and they crumbled?  Just wait...the same thing will happen at Citeh...


Vicky

I'm upset over the whole Man City buy too. I think it'll just get worse from here. :/ 

No longer is football based on the best teams/best managed teams and team work. Money is the key now, and if you've got the money you can just buy all the good players and put together an all star team that will just thrash the league...not fair. Bad enough Man U wins almost everything as it is.

How are teams going to go up leagues if when they do they get done in straight away and go back down by not being able to compete with the money/amazing players that are bought up. boo.

For me, the big question is whether City's new owners will be able to attract enough players in January for a scrap for a UEFA Cup place.

They're a dozen points adrift of fifth-place Arsenal at this point.  It's a big ask (especially with Hull showing no signs of letting up).

* leviramsey just thought this thread needed a bump...

Good bump!

I think that City are going to have a problem attracting the kind of quality players they need to get them up the league.


Vicky

I agree with Vicky.

This season is not what I hoped for for My Reds... :/ At least we managed a win.

Man City need to concern themselves with what's happening at the bottom of the table at the moment, not UEFA cup places!

Funny, isn't it?
 
 

The richest club on the planet, and they lose to West Brom!  I will just be in fits if they go down...I think it would be good for the game, as it would show that money doesn't always result in a Chelsea-like takeover of the league.

Vicky

Funny, isn't it?
 
 

The richest club on the planet, and they lose to West Brom!  I will just be in fits if they go down...I think it would be good for the game, as it would show that money doesn't always result in a Chelsea-like takeover of the league.

Vicky

Wouldn't a QPR - Man City game in the Colaship be the richest football game ever? 

As a Villa fan, I'm beginning to quietly contemplate winning the league... neither Liverpool nor Chelsea seem that interested in the title this year (there's no other way to explain the many times that they've both dropped points!), and Utd aren't putting down the hammer like they normally do.

On the bright side for Arsenal, even with your underperformance this year, St. Totteringham's Day should be coming early (I don't see Spurs getting to 40 points this season, but 35 points should be good enough for safety).

Tying Spurs and Man City together, I think I'll hold my nose and root for Spurs in the Carling Cup.  Even though it means another tinpot trophy for their deluded fans (whom I've actually heard argue that the Carling Cup is as much of an honor as the FA Cup!), taking a UEFA Cup spot from the league (and thus Man City) is far more important.  A midtable outsider taking a spot via the FA Cup (Hull or somesuch would be just about perfect) would be even better, as it would basically deny City European football next year.

Yes, I hadn't thought about the possibility fo a QPR fixture!  Very good.

I think the prem will be tight this season between the top three, and (I am sorry to say) that I think it is a matter of time before Villa falter and ars* start playing well again. But Spuds going down would make my year!


Vicky

Tbh, I'm starting to look at the number of weird things that have happened this year (the number of times that all of the traditional big 4 dropped points on the same weekend and the number of times that Villa have nicked a late goal to win (which is a hallmark of successful sides...) when they probably shouldn't have) and I'm starting to think that a title challenge isn't that farfetched.

Is this the best Premiership season yet?  At this point, everybody bar Everton, Arsenal, Villa, Utd, Chelsea, and Liverpool is hypothetically in the relegation scrap (10 points from 7th place to the bottom), and the potential for Villa to finish top 4.  The last day of the season could see five or six games having an impact on relegation.

It's interesting to see how the hypothesized upper-middle-class of the Prem has splintered: Villa have pushed upwards; a Hughes-less Blackburn has nearly imploded; Newcastle and Spurs have really fallen... only Everton are left in that definitely-not-good-enough-for-top-4-but-definitely-top-half bracket.

I think this is the best season for years.  Even as an Arsenal fan I think it is good for the game that Villa are threatening the monopoly of the 'Big Four'...though obviously I wish it wasn't at our expense!

But...forget about the Prem...today is all about The Cup!  Come on Preston!!!!


Vicky

But...forget about the Prem...today is all about The Cup!  Come on Preston!!!!

Well, after the excitement of last season - the cup ends early for us this year!  :\\\'(

Will it cheer you up if I invite everyone to laugh loudly at Man City?


Vicky