Barclays Premier League 2008/09  

375 members have voted

  1. 1. Who will win the Barclays Premier League 2008/09?

    • Arsenal
      25
    • Aston Villa
      8
    • Chelsea
      15
    • Everton
      9
    • Liverpool
      22
    • Manchester City
      8
    • Manchester United
      55
    • Portsmouth
      0
    • Tottenham Hotspur
      2
    • Other
      5
  2. 2. Who be relegated from the Barclays Premier League 2008/09 (select 3)?

    • Blackburn Rovers
      15
    • Bolton Wanderers
      23
    • Fulham
      22
    • Hull City
      53
    • Middlesbrough
      26
    • Stoke City
      66
    • Sunderland
      31
    • West Bromwich Albian
      71
    • Wigan Athletic
      29
    • Other
      39
  3. 3. Who will be top scorer in the Barclays Premier League 2008/09?

    • Benjani
      3
    • Cesc Fabregas
      1
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
      37
    • Didier Drogba
      4
    • Emmanuel Adebayor
      8
    • Fernando Torres
      43
    • Frank Lampard
      8
    • Wayne Rooney
      12
    • Roque Santa Cruz
      0
    • Other
      33


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Martyn what do you think we need?

If Rafa deems that Darby (our reserve team captain) does not have the quality to step up and cover the right back slot then we will need to sign another right back.

I don't particularly want to sign Tevez, least of all if we have to sell Alonso to fund such a deal. We do not need another top class striker who will be looking to play every game, the Torres and Gerrard partnership is not one that should be broken up, which is why I cannot understand the Keane transfer from last summer. We will more than likely be looking to sign a striker though, names like Lavezzi have been mentioned.

Gareth Barry will probably be signing for us as well, although I am unsure as to how we are going to fit him in.

It would also be nice to get someone in such as Silva, a silky player who can unlock defenses and give us another attacking option against teams we have struggled to break down this season (eg: Stoke).

Babel and Degan need shipping out of our club, and similarly I think the most important signing of our summer will be keeping Xabi Alonso at Anfield.

It would also be nice to get someone in such as Silva, a silky player who can unlock defenses and give us another attacking option against teams we have struggled to break down this season (eg: Stoke).

Everyone wants Silva :p We need someone like him badly as well.. no explanation needed.. I feel Rafa must make sure Xabi doesn't leave.. but if he does.. I want him at Arsenal.. if he goes to Madrid he might be benched for most of the games.. too many big names there.

Alan Shearer is the one person (aside from Kevin Keegan) who the fans won't turn on. Personally, I feel Ashley (needs to go, but he won't!) needs to run along as fast as his legs will carry him and practically grovel to Keegan to get him back and appoint Shearer as his number 2. If those 2 got together, then Newcastle have a chance. Otherwise, personally I see it as a up hill struggle.

Only one man can truly bring Newcastle back to form IMO. His name is Kevin Keegan! Shearer himself just doesn't have the experience.

I still think Shearer should have pulled the rabbit out of the hat and put himself on the teamsheet! :p

This is almost like a quote from a Newcastle fan. Personally I think they need to stop appointing the likes of Keegan and Shearer. Neither have them have ever won anything important as a manager, they are both clueless defensively, and they quite obviously need somebody with the respect, power, experience and influence to overhaul the entire club. Instead they're looking for a 'messiah.' It's that kind of sentimentality that's seen them relegated in the first place.

It would never happen, but Newcastle are in dire need of a figure like Guus Hiddink who'll take the club by the scruff of the neck, tell it like it is and will accept no bullsh*t from anybody, including Mike Ashley.

+1 I've been saying that for ages about Dirk.. also Tevez with Torres will be a strong partnership.. they both could understand each other a bit better and what I like about them is what we miss.. they are not afraid of defenders tackling them.. I feel Liverpool should also get rid of Babel and get Pennent back.. and hold on to Xabi or get Barry

and welcome back to this thread..

yeah ever since i got the news writer job my time in the forum dropped. Still watching football though. And Kralik if I were you I wouldn't worry about your team. The amount of young talent on Arsenal is amazing. Three or four years and you guys will be gunning for the top again without issue, especially with Arshevin their (liverpool killer #1).

If Rafa deems that Darby (our reserve team captain) does not have the quality to step up and cover the right back slot then we will need to sign another right back.

I don't particularly want to sign Tevez, least of all if we have to sell Alonso to fund such a deal. We do not need another top class striker who will be looking to play every game, the Torres and Gerrard partnership is not one that should be broken up, which is why I cannot understand the Keane transfer from last summer. We will more than likely be looking to sign a striker though, names like Lavezzi have been mentioned.

Gareth Barry will probably be signing for us as well, although I am unsure as to how we are going to fit him in.

It would also be nice to get someone in such as Silva, a silky player who can unlock defenses and give us another attacking option against teams we have struggled to break down this season (eg: Stoke).

Babel and Degan need shipping out of our club, and similarly I think the most important signing of our summer will be keeping Xabi Alonso at Anfield.

I don't want to lose Xavi, he is amazing, but my only beef (and with the whole team in general i guess), no one really stepped up when Torres and Gerrard went down except for that Champions League game against Chelsea. I can't really see him leaving, but if Rafa has enough confidence with Lucas or Babel or both next season I can see it happening. I do agree with Babel, he shows signs of brilliance sometimes, but those times are far and few between.

Gareth Barey would be amazing, we also had him last season didn't we? Wasn't Keane the backup choice? Silva would be great, but I think a lot of teams are after him. I agree with the Gerrard and Torres partnership, those two are brilliant on the field.

No, I actually try and contribute to these sporting threads. Yes, I do rib some other teams fans as well, but I go into these threads with the aim of discussion, not with the aim of posting random pictures to annoy everyone, and contributing nothing. There is a fine line between a little bit of healthy stick mixed in with footballing discussion, and being an idiot for the sake of annoying people, and Mail is about as far on the wrong side of that line as you could possibly get. Just another sad glory hogging man united supporter who's IQ is probably lower than the temperature of his bedroom.

Sorry for the rant, but his kind of behaviour is just an affront to more reasonable and respectful football fans

Edited by Frank Fontaine

Daily Mail posted this about Newcastles wage bill some of these are insane:

WHO WILL GO AND WHO WILL STAY?

WORTH KEEPING:

NICKY BUTT ?60,000 a week ? a leader who will be needed.

STEVEN TAYLOR ?40,000 ? a proud Geordie who will want to make amends.

DANNY GUTHRIE ?40,000 ? will do well in Championship.

SHOLA AMEOBI ?40,000 ? Football League is his level.

STEVE HARPER ?30,000 ? deserves a run as No 1.

RYAN TAYLOR ?30,000 ? should pick upON THEIR WAY:>ON THEIR WAY:

MICHAEL OWEN ?105,000 ? out of contract, needs a new club.

DAMIEN DUFF ?70,000 ? says he wants to stay (yeah, right).

OBAFEMI MARTINS ?70,000 ? on the first plane out of Tyneside, never to be

seen again.

ALAN SMITH ?60,000 ? strangely has a list of clubs who want him.

MARK VIDUKA ?60,000 ? Aussie beaches beckon.

GEREMI ?60,000 ? odds on for a Turkish club who need a 40-plus player.

JONAS GUTIERREZ ?50,000 ? cost ?5.6m but no use now.

HABIB BEYE ?50,000 ? one of few to leave with integrity intact.

IGNACIO GONZALEZ ?50,000 ? who indeed?

CACAPA ?40,000 ? one of the worst Brazilians ever.

SEBASTIEN BASSONG ?30,000 ? one of Newcastle?s few assets.

PETER LOVENKRANDS ?20,000 ? brief loan spell to end.

HARD TO SHIFT: ? January signing which backfired.

HARD TO SHIFT:

JOEY BARTON ?60,000 ? who would be mad enough to buy him?

JOSE ENRIQUE ?60,000 ? cost ?6m, which was ?6m too much.

FABRICIO COLOCCINI ?60,000 ? he was frighteningly bad.

XISCO ?50,000 ? an expensive flop.

No, I actually try and contribute to these sporting threads. Yes, I do rib some other teams fans as well, but I go into these threads with the aim of discussion, not with the aim of posting random pictures to annoy everyone, and contributing nothing. There is a fine line between a little bit of healthy stick mixed in with footballing discussion, and being an idiot for the sake of annoying people, and Mail is about as far on the wrong side of that line as you could possibly get. Just another sad glory hogging man united supporter who's IQ is probably lower than the temperature of his bedroom.

Sorry for the rant, but his kind of behaviour is just an affront to more reasonable and respectful football fans

Sorry, i usually stick out of this thread because there's at least some kind of argument going around in here but are you forgetting this post?

Wow that's an expensive set of wages for under-performing players. Or was that them performing at the top of their ability? :D

I actually agree with MotD gurus on this one.. Toon's main prob was lack of speed.. they were all sluggish for most of the games.. I couldn't see the hunger in their performance when Hull went down.. I'd play my heart out at that time to stay up.. its a pity that none of them loved Newcastle the way Shearer loves the club.. and for that reason he must stay on and throw out the garbage..

Sorry, i usually stick out of this thread because there's at least some kind of argument going around in here but are you forgetting this post?

No, I didn't forget it, I used it as a rebuttal to Mail. Like I previously stated, I admit I join in the barracking but I actually also attempt to contribute to the thread. Mail however contributes nothing.

Owen Coyle is expected to be the new Celtic manager by the end of the week.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has spoken to the 42-year-old, who has taken Burnley to the Premier League in his first full season in charge.

The Lancashire club are anxious to keep the former St Johnstone boss and have offered Coyle a contract extension.

However, the lure of joining the team he supported as a boy is thought to be more attractive than Burnley's return to the top flight in England.

Paisley-born Coyle has two years of his current deal to run at Turf Moor and operations director Brendan Flood told BBC Sport he is "100% sure that Owen Coyle will lead Burnley in to their first season in the top flight in 33 years."

He joined Burnley in November 2007, a few days before St Johnstone won the SFL Challenge Cup final against Dunfermline.

The former Bolton, Dundee United, Motherwell and Falkirk striker took the helm at McDiarmid Park in April 2005, finishing second in the First Division.

The Perth club, who recorded a surprise 2-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox that season, also reached the semi-final stage of both domestic cup competitions, losing to the eventual winners on both occasions.

Celtic are looking for a new manager after Gordon Strachan stepped down on Monday.

And leading scorer Scott McDonald is an admirer of what Coyle has achieved in his short time at Burnley.

"He's done a fantastic job," McDonald said of Coyle, whose squad includes Steven Caldwell, the brother of Celtic defender Gary.

"We've kept a close eye on Burnley this year as well because Gaz Caldwell's brother plays for them, so we've been hearing about Burnley for the last 12 months.

"We've seen a lot of them on TV and they've played some great stuff at times.

"It's not for me to comment on who's going to be the next manager - it's not my decision. I'll just be happy to pull on the Hoops again next year and work as hard as I can for whoever that is."

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