English Premier League 2012/2013

Here's another angle for the Rafael goal.

I don't know what Wenger said in his interview but even if he did say something like that, I don't think there's anybody out there who would fall for it - surely?

QPR's next five games are crucial - they play two or three around them but all 5 are in the bottom half I think. If they mess those games up, they've had it.

I think QPR will make it, and I've thought so since before Redknapp came in. They're [cliche]surely too good to go down[/cliche]

West Ham circa 2011 say hi.

Hi.

That was actually kinda my point.

Mind you, if there's a West Ham side who oughtn't have gone down, it's the 2004(?) vintage who went down with 42 points. cba to google the exact year

Match of the Day
Team of the Day stats:

1. Mark Schwarzer has now saved two of the three penalties he has faced in the league this season and also enjoyed a clean sheet against Stoke City.

2. Rafael scored Manchester United’s opening goal and also cleared a shot off the line in the Red Devils’ 2-0 win at Loftus Road.

3. Nemanja Vidic made six interceptions for Man Utd today, a joint-high for defenders across the Premier League action.

4. Brede Hangeland made more clearances than any other player in the Premier League today (20).

5. Maynor Figueroa became only the fifth defender in the Premier League this season to get a goal and an assist in the same game.

6. Stephane Sessegnon fired in four shots today, the most of all midfielders, and grabbed a consolation goal for Sunderland.

7. Jack Wilshere was more involved than any other player in the top-flight today, touching the ball 113 times.

8. Leon Osman scored his first away goal since March 2011 in the Premier League, ending a run of 11 consecutive goals at Goodison Park.

9. Santi Cazorla grabbed his 10th and 11th goals of the season, becoming the first Gunner since Thierry Henry to reach double figures in his debut PL campaign.

10. Arouna Kone bagged a brace today and has now scored four in his last five Premier League appearances.

11. Romelu Lukaku has only made 12 Premier League starts this season but has scored nine goals in those games following his well taken brace today.

QPR will go down, Harry left QPR, to join West Ham as manager after Sam left West Ham in summer after Gold refused resign contract for Sam... thats my dream!

I don't get where all this "Harry Houdini" stuff comes from? Sure he saved Portsmouth from relegation but he also got Southampton relegated - his Spurs season surely cannot count?

50/50 on Promotions/Relegations?

2002-03 was the year. Would have held on to Carrick, Defoe, Johnson et al for at least another year I reckon. Completely dismantled and never really got back to that level of good players. Our academy has turned to shit, we haven't produced a decent graduate since Noble.

Bring back Redknapp and Paolo Wanchope and we can go on another great Intertoto Cup run

Hate the saying too good to go down - there's loads of teams that have went down that have been too good.

Look at the likes of Leeds, Newcastle, West Ham - Bolton last season weren't awful - neither were Blackburn.

Comes down to bad management - something which has been the story of QPR's season really - whether it be financial or football.

Man City team:
Hart, Zabaleta (C), Kolo Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Milner, Rodwell, Silva, Yaya Toure, Aguero

Chelsea team:
Team: Cech; Ivanović, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Lampard (c); Ramires, Mata, Hazard; Ba.

Subs: Turn, Azpili, JT, Bert, Oscar, Moses, Torres

Rodwell

4-2-3-1 for Chelsea, Ramires wide right?? I think he's much more influential in central midfield but we'll see. The Etihad is a difficult place to get a result.

We are conceding a lot of goals from right side mainly because of wingers not tracking back. Probably that is the reason.


Is just me or City lineup look very defensive?

I think James Milner will push forward. Also, Garcia and Rodwell will have to be on top form today.

Kolo Toure and Nastasic could be there for the taking if Hazard and Mata play like we know they can.

I don't understand why David Luiz is starting in central defence? Cahill and Ivanovic have been playing well together.

In fairness, when they play defensive tactics, they have a lot more of the possession and they can defend deeply in numbers. Mancini probably looked at Chelsea's threat on the counter-attack and thought, 'fuck that'. That said, Mancini has been criticized for overtly defensive tactics in the past, and it's probably been forgotten because United threw their 10-point lead away last season.

That was the problem in his first season, they won it last year by playing much more open.

1-0 down in 3 minutes

Played well since and the pressure's paid off with Sissoko getting an equiliser

Amount of crosses going in to no one now and when Dzeko comes on there will be no crosses at all

Chelsea players screaming every fucking time they go down without even being touched is fucking annoying. It's a foul, we get it

CISSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Class goal from well outside the penalty area!

Just tuned in. I'm guessing I haven't missed much?

Very boring game so far.

Joe Hart livens it up, COCK.

Ba makes the most of that but Hart shouldn't have come out like he did. City are so average at the moment.

Great save, still a cock.

Saved!

Well done Hart.

Never a peno