Premier League 2 watch

Burnley were fecking awful, really poor, scored then parked a bus for 87 minutes. At home! Worst side I've seen on telly this season.

 

It was always a ridiculous appointment for both parties. It was as though the music stopped with only one chair and one participant left. Palace "needed a manager" - tick. FDB "needed a job" - tick. There can be no other reason that the job was both offered and accepted.

 

The CP Board should take the blame. They took way too long to recruit so that any coach would have struggled. They also blew all their transfer kitty on just two defensive players. Contrast that with what teams like WFC and Huddersfield did in the window. Not all down to FDB. They have given 'woy a difficult reconstruction job.

 

His first job should literally be doing a QSF.

Sure up the defence. Get a clean sheet this weekend and get a bloody point on the board. Develop a defensive strategy for both manchesters and chelsea. Come out of these next 4 games with 2 or 3 points and a couple of clean sheets and build from there.

They are only a few points off and have a decent team.

 

We are top of the league,
I said we are top of the league,
We are top of the league,
I said we are top of the league…

 

I don't think palace do have a decent team, its way over rated

I'd take Zaha, that's about the only player of theirs that would get near our 11

 

Same here, I'd then never play him and make him sit on a kick stool in front of the Rookery week in, week out for our entertainment.

 

Is Zaha really that good? He's quick granted but taking Gabriel Agbonlahor as an example, many years ago some commentators were saying that he would be the next big thing but no-one went in for him once they realised that apart from pace there wasn't much else in his locker. Zaha was given his chance when he went to Man Utd, he obviously didn't have it because 2 years later (which included 3 half seasons out on loan to either Palace or Cardiff) he made a grand total of 2 appearances and 2 sub appearances for Man Utd. So I would firmly put Zaha in the category named "Flatters to deceive".

 

I don't like Zaha - he falls down far too easily for my liking.

However, in my opinion, in almost every game that we have played against Palace in recent seasons, he has been the best player on the pitch. By a long way.

 

I'd take Fosu Mensah and Sahko. Maybe Van Aanholt.

 

Maybe Sky should spend a little less paying footballers and their agents ridiculous sums of money and a little more on their customer service and moving home team. But oh well, the EB household is up and running once more so here we go....

Bournemouth V Brighton - a south coast derby on the telebox tonight (if sky have got that part right today that is). Fairly obvious who we will all be cheering on, although in terms of Prem 2 league standings its the Seagulls who are looking to close the gap on top spot to a point.

Palace V Southampton - Palace are in need of a rewind button back to pre-season and start all over again, but that seems a little far fetched so maybe just some more tactical awareness to kick-start their season against a Saints team needing to pick up points (they've not played a Prem 1 team yet)

Huddersfield V Leicester - Don't be fooled by Leicester's league position, they've played 3 Prem 1 sides and not looked too bad at all. Both teams will be going for the win here, might be a good game.

Newcastle V Stoke - Stoke have picked up the joint most points V Prem 1 sides so far, so a point wouldn't be so bad against a Geordie team with a little more confidence at the moment.

Brom V Ham, the battle of the Wests. Not sure I'd pay much to see this one, WBA started well then slipped up, West Ham started poor but got their first win. Meh.

Only 3 teams with a free swing of the bat this week, Burnley (who are the other joint best V Prem 1 teams so far), Swansea and the Prem 2 frauds Watford FC.

Funnily enough I'd rather win this one than not, but it's not a season defining game....unless we do win of course and maybe it WILL define our season.

 

Lets be honest it was a little premature to believe we were beyond this league at the moment! But, winning this league within a league could prove more profitable than expected if Everton fail to turn around their poor form. Anyway, enough chat, here's the updated table



Another good result for Burnley who have played 4 of their 5 games against the bigger boys.

The stats show just why this thread exists, the gulf is looking huge this year early on. The current record of Prem 2 V Prem 1 reads

Played 20
Won 2
Drawn 5
Lost 13

11 points from a possible 60.

 

Has it been mentioned ? (haven't read all the thread) but the way it's going it looks like the table should include Everton in 'our' league. Traditional top 6.

Everton really poor and haven't kicked on from last season, losing Lukaku is a big blow.

 

Everton have some very good players, but they lack a player who can lead the line. They also need time to gel.

I'd include them in PL2, despite the money they've spent, but I'd still bet that they win it.

 

In terms of quality I think we and Everton have been similar for the last couple of years, the big difference last season was us losing both Pereya and Zarate in quick succession and then all our CMs. This season we have better depth and quality than them IMO but we shall see. Just remember that had we had proper officials we would have bettered their result this weekend.

 

They also lack pace, all over the pitch

 

Yeah I agree with this I kept hearing before the start of the season that Marco Silva was mad to go to us over Palace because they have a far superior team and I disagreed at the time and the neutrals were sceptical but maybe I am being proven right.

 

Rumour has it that the Premier League want to re-name this thread the 'Premier League Championship'. For the mean time here are this weeks fixtures...

Burnley (3rd) V Huddersfield (2nd)
Swansea (8th) V Watford (6th)
Brighton (10th) V Newcastle (1st)

And that's it. All 7 other teams have 'bonus game' weekends. Great chance for those above to steal some ground. Good luck to all of them (apart from Burnley, Huddersfield, Swansea, Brighton and Newcastle)

 

West Ham getting battered at the moment. 3-0 after an hour.

 

I don't understand this thread

 

No reason not to post tho....

 

I don't mean I don't like it. Just curious.

 

I thought I understood it but now you mention it I'm not so sure. It may be another great big whoooooosh!

 

Think it might've been mentioned before but could someone with mad IT skillz do a league table that excludes results against the big 6 clubs? That would be the true indicator of who's the best of the rest...

 

No it wouldn't. Obviously the results against the big boys are critically important too. The table's fine just the way it is.

 

Well if the idea is to see who would win a league without the big teams then it would make sense to disregard the results against them. Novel idea but you could always look at the actual league table for an indicator of how teams fare against all the other teams in the league?

Also, why not have two different tables in this thread? Just because I asked if someone could do the other one, doesn't mean the original format has to be stopped.

 

Wont be too hard to do as I already include points v the top 7. I'll chuck one in every now and again if you like. Will do one this week sometime as an early version

 

Hey Moog, the general concept came from the realism that we are very unlikely to be challenging over an entire season for a place in the top 7. There is very much a group of teams who have gone at least one level above the rest. So I thought it might be a bit of fun to have a thread where they are excluded. Rather than looking at a table where the excitement is 'wow we are in the top half' (nothing wrong with that, the real table gives me lots of pleasure to look at currently) it will show the 'best of the rest' in top spot. Where as the big teams seasons are often judged from results against each other, I figured it was highly probable that our season would more likely be determined by results against the 12 teams in a similar position to us. So when the fixtures are placed on here I just focus on those matches. 'Bonus' points are the ones picked up V the top 7 (they are few and far between at the moment).

Anyway, I know it wont be to everyone's liking and even I sometimes look at it and think this is a bit weird! But I'm enjoying it and as long as enough people on here are to I'll keep it going.

PS I know your comment wasn't criticism as you state a few messages later.

 

Thanks a lot, appreciate it. Again, not a criticism of your initial idea just thought it might be interesting to see them alongside each other sometimes. Keep up the good work!

 

I don't accept the general premise. I feel we are top 4 material.

 

I'll get a Prem 1 thread going with us in and keep out the tinpot sides.

 

Did he appeal for handball ?