2013/2014 Soccer/Football Thread

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Predictions

Leicester 2-1 Fulham
Birmingham 1-2 Stoke
Manchester United 2-0 Norwich
Burnley 1-1 West Ham (1-2 EXT)
Arsenal 1-3 Chelsea

Now hear me out with the arsenal-chelsea game. Both teams will play their "reserves" but Chelsea clearly have the stronger reserve squad (mata, eto'o, willian, de bruyne,etc) and can win with a little bit of wiggle room.
 

Myzozoa

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I think it depends, Chelsea have the better reserves undoubtedly, but I wouldn't discount this being a year where Wenger tries to win on all fronts including irrelevant cup competitions. The danger is a repeat of 2011, where we had 2nd best team in the world when our squad was healthy, but fixture congestion drove us into the ground. This year our squad isn't even the best in england, let alone the world, but right now there is a lot of optimism and reason to be optimistic. If we can add depth in January it might save us from suffering the same fate as 2011.

Also I expect Chelsea to beat us just because they are suited to it as are Liverpool (to a lesser extent), but the manchester teams are gonna be our bitch this year, and spurs of course.

edit: lack of squad depth is clear from our defeat, rosicky isn't consistent enough, and our lack of 'true' wingers is apparent (cazorla is playing well enough to cover it up when we're attacking from possession, but he isn't as good from the wing on the counter attacks) and severely limiting to our tactics. Even though I dont think either of chelsea's goals were really due to them playing well, they certainly were the better, more composed side.
 
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I wasn't particularly looking forward to this match but now I'm pretty excited! It's a shame Frimpong isn't playing, but the good news is he's still building up fitness and sharpness after his injury and not because he's been dropped by Wenger. He has all the potential to be a top player and I'm still waiting for that midfield of Wilshere and Frimpong leading Arsenal when they're 29. Chelsea have unbelievable depth, like Mata, Eto, Ba, Willian, De Bruyne, like wtf. We get to see Ryo, Monreal and Bendtner but really it is no contest, the amount of money sitting on Chelsea's bench is insane. It doesn't help that Gnabry and Eisfeld and Zelalem are injured but it also means Wenger plays a strongish looking team, C'MON KING BENDTNER!!!

And Ju Yong Park is still at Arsenal lol wtf I thought he left last season!??

Also Ramsey starting again confirms he's on steroids: 6 games in 16 days lol!
 
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Bendtner was terrible, gave the ball away with almost every touch. It was worse than playing with ten men really cos Bendtner was playing like an extra defender for Chelsea giving them the ball everytime it went up, it was embarrassing. It was a no contest until Giroud came on. Cazorla though played really really well and so did Monreal, but Jenkinson seriously... He would not make the reserves for most other top teams out there. He's played well some games but you don't trust him in any situation, he's a sunday league player propelled into the PL as another one of Wenger's 10 year pet projects...

Only positives from today: Caz and Monreal still look the business, it wasn't a league game, some injured players like Walcott and Podolski are coming back soon.

Chelsea's strikers aren't looking too bad lately, Torres looks somewhat reborn (again), Eto looks good and sharp now, and I've always rated Demba Ba, he's top class imo. The rest of Chelsea's squad takes care of itself so it's looking bad for the rest in the chase especially with Utd and City doing so badly so far!
 
Both teams will play their "reserves" but Chelsea clearly have the stronger reserve squad (mata, eto'o, willian, de bruyne,etc) and can win with a little bit of wiggle room.
This. I'm 100% not bothered by the result, only with a few of the obvious players that were really poor.

Only way we can win the league is if our "2nd squad" can handle the lower clubs in league.. while our first squad handles the rest. But yes, we've all known that our second options are just nothing compared to Chelsea and City, which is fine.. it is what it is.

But some of the opinions and comments on Twitter and the DM, is ridiculous. It's wild how much the DM hate Arsenal and hit them anyway they can. [the actual writers more than the comments]
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lol, this.

 
they got knocked out, hence the change in tune.
what could be more exciting then a cold midweek night in stoke.......
 
uh predictions

Newcastle 1-3 Chelsea
Fulham 1-2 Man Utd
Hull 2-0 Sunderland
Man City 3-1 Norwich
Stoke 0-0 Southampton
West Brom 3-0 Crystal Palace
West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa
Arsenal 2-3 Liverpool
 
Can't watch the games this weekend cos I have a trip but it's just as well because Arsenal usually lose if I watch the game. Maybe I'll try to catch some of it in a pub somewhere!

Also I don't usually follow Serie A but wtf is happening at Roma. I watched highlights of their game against Udinese and they got very lucky to win I thought, so I don't know if they've been playing very well or what but they're on fire. 1-0 wins too when they're playing bad, the new Man Utd in the making?
 

reyscarface

is a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnusdefeated the Smogon Frontier
World Defender
theyve been super lucky a few games, but when they play good damn are they good. god knows how as well, its not like they have a world class squad or anything, totti op
 
Can't fucking believe we are dropping points to FUCKING NEWCASTLE. I swear they only play good against us, fucking hell

edit: OMG 2-0 and i cant find my bleach gdi
 
Shitty conditions
Shitty referee
Poor finishing on our part.
They got their two chances and took them.
Newcastle deserved it for their intensity in the second half.

German Football is the best!
 
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referee was good

chelsea played badly and that was the worst display i've ever seen from hazard

edit: chelsea also need to be less predictable in their play. Too much coming inside and not enough crossing. Torres is excellent at nicking in front of the defender
 
yeah i understand it's easy to blame the referee after losing, we all do. Chelsea were not even close to their best

chelsea just didn't seem to really want it. and if mike williamson wasn't so atrocious in the air, they wouldn't have had a shot at goal just saying.
 

HBK

Subtlety is my middle name
Horrible performance+bad luck. I'd criticise Mourinho for starting Torres but I'd have done the same thing after the way he played vs City. He shouldn't have reunited the "three amigos" because they don't go wide often enough and are lazy in their defensive work. It makes the game very narrow. He should have started Schurrle/Willian instead of Hazard/Mata. Now all I can do is hope for a draw at the Emirates.
 
Pretty bad goal to concede from us. Allowing the shortest player on the field to almost score with a header when we have 3 tall CBs around him. Ref should have let us take the quick free kick that led to a goal as well.

overall, I'd say bring on Coutinho in the second half to be more efficient on the counter attack. Our system is well suited to beat a team that likes to play narrow
 

Myzozoa

to find better ways to say what nobody says
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
getting in aguero in fantasy this week and captaining him was an excellent decision.

liverpool are doing an awful job holding onto the ball, I mean arsenal have been tackling much better this season than in previous seasons but Liverpool were so sloppy in the first half, also funneling play away from suarez towards sturridge seems to be effective.

edit: yeah the goal was mainly a result of lazy/sloppy defending, but the header was actually really powerful so i mean some credit is due to cazorla for having that skill.

edit 2: and yeh suarez should have been allowed that quick free kick, the ref and linesman are favoring arsenal imo
 
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