Premier League Gameweek 1 (9th, 10th, 11th August)

SquishyMcSquish

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2018
Messages
8,198
Supports
Tottenham
It’s so hard to judge most teams after one game, but this opening weekend hasn’t changed much for me.

City, Liverpool and Spurs top three. United or Arsenal fourth then Chelsea.
Oh yeah judging from one game is silliness .. but I'm not doing that with Chelsea. I've been saying ever since Lampard was appointed how their season will go and I completely stick by that.

Today has gone exactly as I expected. Energetic and youthful promise but so easy to break through and they have nobody who can step up to replace Hazard's goalscoring contributions.

Agree with your other predictions except I could honestly see a Wolves or a Leicester getting ahead of Chelsea. Both their managers are a cut above Lampard (who did nothing remotely special at Derby despite having a number of PL quality players handed to him on loan) and I think in general they'll be better organised sides. Didn't think that would happen at all but the more I think about it, the more I think it's the perfect year for one side to drop out having lost their star player and hired a very experimental manager.
 

ZolaWasMagic

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2018
Messages
2,714
Supports
Chelsea
It’s so hard to judge most teams after one game, but this opening weekend hasn’t changed much for me.

City, Liverpool and Spurs top three. United or Arsenal fourth then Chelsea.
yeh, bit of a strange one to judge a team's final position on the opening weekend. I think Batshuayi has to start for us, with Pulisic in the 11 plus Rudiger and RLC fit, CHO too... we will be alright. we have Willian to come in, too

If the ban gets reduced though, in Jan we need a striker first and foremost
 

90 + 5min

Full Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
Messages
5,032
Great result. And we should defenitly be happy about 3 points, clean sheet and 4 goals. BUT out performance was awful in first half. Second slightly better and that Martialgoal killed them. Two more goals was only result of Chelsea pushing up team.

What we have to do and what Solskjaer must adress is our tactical game. Today we saw very little from our pressing. Our attackers were often in no-mansland. We have to make sure that with or without pressing we still have to defend our flanks better. Rashford and Lingard/Pereira were catastrofic and let WanBissaka/Shaw work harder then they should. Then we have to do something about that central midfield. I believe it was also affected by our lack of pressure. Pogba and McTominay were overcrowded lots and lots of times and had to work in areas where they should not be in. Defending starts with our forwards.

Maybe its because of the first game, maybe not. But we have to step up. Not one level, but 3-4 if we want to have successful season. And I'm positiv about that we will be better for our next game.
 

Bearded One

Full Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Messages
1,245
Lets nit kid ourselves, we need 1 more attacker and midfield player. We won't have it this easy always.
 

Sandikan

aka sex on the beach
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
52,710
A pool pal said they beat Norwich while we beat Chelsea and there's no comparison.

I genuinely think he was being serious and rating Norwich, who will be relegated by Feb higher than Chelsea!
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
A pool pal said they beat Norwich while we beat Chelsea and there's no comparison.

I genuinely think he was being serious and rating Norwich, who will be relegated by Feb higher than Chelsea!
Norwich isnt getting relegated unless Hanley is starting for the whole season.
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
20th i reckon.
Spent about 750k and think that's enough?!
They have a fair bit of quality in that team. Also the set up is on point, the coach is doing a great job. The likes of Cantwell, Krul, Leitner, Pukki, Godfrey, Aaron and Lewis all look prem quality. They still have Patrick Roberts waiting in the wings. If Pukki stays fit all season he'll score goals, he has to stay fit though. Sheffield for example are a Cardiff waiting to happen.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,137
Supports
Everton
22/66 players that started for the top 6 this weekend were English.

Off the top of my head the majority of those were people under 25 (yet even the ones over are people like Kane and Maguire who are entering their prime). Pretty good for the future.
 

robinamicrowave

Wanted to be bran, ended up being littlefinger
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
2,739
Supports
Man City
22/66 players that started for the top 6 this weekend were English.

Off the top of my head the majority of those were people under 25 (yet even the ones over are people like Kane and Maguire who are entering their prime). Pretty good for the future.
Is that the "Big 6" or the current top six after one game?
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,137
Supports
Everton
Is that the "Big 6" or the current top six after one game?
The big 6.

United - AWB, Maguire, Shaw, Lingard, Rashford. 5.
Chelsea - Abraham, Barkley, Mount. 3.
Spurs - Walker-Peters, Rose, Winks, Kane. 4.
Arsenal - Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson. 4.
Liverpool - Gomez, TAA, Henderson. 3.
City - Stones, Walker, Sterling. 3.

16/22 are 25 or under.
 
Last edited:

robinamicrowave

Wanted to be bran, ended up being littlefinger
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
2,739
Supports
Man City
The big 6.
Thank you! Gonna make a list of them. See if a Euro 2020 England squad can be made from it.
Goalkeepers: N/A

Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Walker, Walker-Peters, Chambers, Maguire, Stones, Gomez, Rose, Wan-Bissaka, Shaw

Midfielders: Henderson, McTominay, Winks, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson, Barkley, Lingard, Mount

Forwards: Sterling, Kane, Rashford, Abraham
Well, we'd have a lot of right-backs :lol:
 

Classical Mechanic

Full Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
35,216
Location
xG Zombie Nation
The big 6.

United - AWB, Maguire, Shaw, Lingard, Rashford. 5.
Chelsea - Abraham, Barkley, Mount. 3.
Spurs - Walker-Peters, Rose, Winks, Kane. 4.
Arsenal - Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson. 4.
Liverpool - Gomez, TAA, Henderson. 3.
City - Stones, Walker, Sterling. 3.

16/22 are 25 or under.
Arsenal will probably lose all those players when they have all options available. Chelsea will probably lose a few but RLC, CHO and James are to come back and I think they'll get a lot of minutes this season.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,137
Supports
Everton
Arsenal will probably lose all those players when they have all options available. Chelsea will probably lose a few but RLC, CHO and James are to come back and I think they'll get a lot of minutes this season.
I think Maitland-Niles, Willock and Nelson will all get a lot of game time this year due to European rotation. Chambers probably not but he'll get replaced by Holding I imagine so an English replacement that is better.
 

Classical Mechanic

Full Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
35,216
Location
xG Zombie Nation
I think Maitland-Niles, Willock and Nelson will all get a lot of game time this year due to European rotation. Chambers probably not but he'll get replaced by Holding I imagine so an English replacement that is better.
I'm sceptical the Arsenal lads will get that much game time tbh. The group stages of the Europa League isn't enough. Possible Mailand-Niles could take Bellerin's place though.
 

Scotty McT

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
274
A pool pal said they beat Norwich while we beat Chelsea and there's no comparison.

I genuinely think he was being serious and rating Norwich, who will be relegated by Feb higher than Chelsea!
People really need to stop calling Liverpool 'pool'.

I was sat here for approximately 4 seconds thinking that a pool pal was someone who you go to the swimming pool with.
 

mav_9me

Full Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
Messages
12,400
The big 6.

United - AWB, Maguire, Shaw, Lingard, Rashford. 5.
Chelsea - Abraham, Barkley, Mount. 3.
Spurs - Walker-Peters, Rose, Winks, Kane. 4.
Arsenal - Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson. 4.
Liverpool - Gomez, TAA, Henderson. 3.
City - Stones, Walker, Sterling. 3.

16/22 are 25 or under.
That's obviously good for England. But just going over that list, quite a few are not really that good. The ones are quality international class players are IMO:

AWB, Maguire, Rashford, Gomesz, TAA, Stones, Walker, Sterling and Kane.

A tier below, more of squad player type are winks, Shaw, Rose, Barkley, Henderson.

Lot more upcoming youngsters though. Future looks much better now than for the last few years.
 

Raw

Full Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
25,396
Location
Manchester, UK
That's obviously good for England. But just going over that list, quite a few are not really that good. The ones are quality international class players are IMO:

AWB, Maguire, Rashford, Gomesz, TAA, Stones, Walker, Sterling and Kane.

A tier below, more of squad player type are winks, Shaw, Rose, Barkley, Henderson.

Lot more upcoming youngsters though. Future looks much better now than for the last few years.
It shows how midfield is the obvious weakness in the England team. Defence and forwards are fantastic, it's just midfield that needs to keep up. Hopefully (for Englands sake) the likes of Barkley, RLC, Rice, Maddison, Foden and Winks can make the step up.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,137
Supports
Everton
That's obviously good for England. But just going over that list, quite a few are not really that good. The ones are quality international class players are IMO:

AWB, Maguire, Rashford, Gomesz, TAA, Stones, Walker, Sterling and Kane.

A tier below, more of squad player type are winks, Shaw, Rose, Barkley, Henderson.

Lot more upcoming youngsters though. Future looks much better now than for the last few years.
Overall I would agree with you but it's very much good in terms of competition for places. Will only help in pushing them all to their limits.
 

mav_9me

Full Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
Messages
12,400
It shows how midfield is the obvious weakness in the England team. Defence and forwards are fantastic, it's just midfield that needs to keep up. Hopefully (for Englands sake) the likes of Barkley, RLC, Rice, Maddison, Foden and Winks can make the step up.
Agreed. I would be very hopeful for Winks/Foden/Gomes who I think is going be a modern controlling CM.

Overall I would agree with you but it's very much good in terms of competition for places. Will only help in pushing them all to their limits.
Yes. RB is particularly intriguing. Actually think TAA is probably the best. AWB better defensively. Kyle walker is the one going to be left out sooner rather than later.
 

SquishyMcSquish

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2018
Messages
8,198
Supports
Tottenham
It shows how midfield is the obvious weakness in the England team. Defence and forwards are fantastic, it's just midfield that needs to keep up. Hopefully (for Englands sake) the likes of Barkley, RLC, Rice, Maddison, Foden and Winks can make the step up.

:lol: