Comments on: A Weekend of Drama in the English Premier League

By: JLay

JLay — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:00:38 +0000

I'll see your Gerrard 68 and raise you a Cahill 87 - when's the last time United gave up an 87th-minute, 2-point goal?

Now, for an intellectually consistent response, just the facts:

United are in better form right now (16 points from the last 6 games as opposed to 12), and are currently tied with Liverpool at 47 points with a game in hand. They are also on a run of NINE consecutive clean sheets, despite the loss of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra. Barring a dozen additional injuries, they have the depth and experience to keep their pace up to the end of the season - Chelsea and Liverpool do not.

And that, my friend, is why United are the strong favorites to repeat as Champions.

Hey it could always be worse - you could be an Arsenal fan. But, on the bright side, UEFA Cup tickets are much cheaper!

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:55:08 +0000

Raatzie, I would love it if Liverpool wins the title this year. BUT, their home form needs to improve and they need to be able to get late winners when they count.

I'm not a Spurs supporter. I'm a Swansea fan.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

By: Raatzie

Raatzie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:48:23 +0000

Never mind. You win.

By: Raatzie

Raatzie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:39:34 +0000

No, points are everything. Timing is nothing.

The League isn't won in January any more than it is won in October.

Your failure to acknowledge your intellectual inconsistency is disappointing, if not surprising.

As is the anti-Red bias.

P.S. Gerrard 68. So, so much for that theory.

Liverpool - 2008-09 triple winners.

Spurs - 2009 Carling Cup runners-up, 2010 Championship play-off runners up.

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:50:47 +0000

Timing is everything. If United can keep on winning games like they have done as of late, that momentum is going to carry them through to the remainder of the season.

Liverpool's momentum has come undone. They started the season with some lucky wins, and then some brilliant play, but they've not been playing as well as of late.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

By: Raatzie

Raatzie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:02:44 +0000

And United missed opportunities against Newcastle, Everton, and Spurs.

And lost to Arsenal to boot.

Your point still appears to be

Liverpool - late winners in Aug-Oct - no chance in hell.

Man. U. - late winners in Nov-Jan - have wrapped up the League.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Because if that's your point, it's nonsense.

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:31:20 +0000

Liverpool could do it earlier in the season, but they haven't been able to do it since October 18th. Since then they've missed opportunities to grab late winners against Fulham, West Ham, Hull City and Stoke.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

By: Raatzie

Raatzie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:32:26 +0000

Gaffer,

Liverpool did precisely that - against Sunderland and Boro - the first two weeks of the season.

That's when you declared that they had no shot to win the league.

They've also done it to Wigan and City.

A little intellectual consistency, please?

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:23:26 +0000

Just a few additional comments: Watching Man United pull off a late victory at the Reebok Stadium, they look like Premier League champions again at this rate. I couldn't envision Liverpool doing something similar against a team like Stoke, for example.

I had a chance to watch a couple of La Liga matches this weekend, and was surprised at how the talent on display looked completely inferior to the Premier League. First game was Real Madrid against Osasuna, where the goalkeeping and referee decisions looked like something you would expect to see in the Coca-Cola Championship, not Premier League.

The second match I saw was Almeria against Atletico Madrid. This time it was the defensive errors that plagued the game.

Cheers,
The Gaffer