Around the Premier League 2013-14

:angry-cussingblack: The Spuds!! Their freaking motto must be 'We take the 5th!.' Way to go to Norwich and roll over. Every result went our way until those North London 2nd besters (is that a word?) lost at Carrow Road 1-0. I know Fulham has no one to blame but themselves, but when you need help, count on Tottenham to go belly up.

 

I'm wondering who we can beat. Seriously. Cardiff look like they made a mistake with Solskjaer. They're trying to play a more open game and lost the one thing they had going, that they were tough to beat. Now, they ship goals as bad as we have been (16 in his 7 games in charge), so that's one. Everyone else in the bottom half, look like better "teams", play with more energy and are actually able to keep clean sheets. I'm trying to cling to my Magath optimism, that we might have a chance, but I'm thinking it's just too late. Especially after watching us and watching some of the other matches this weekend.

Interesting stat. Prior to this weekend's results, had you started the Premier League table from the date Pulis took over at Palace, they'd be 8th.

 

I pretty much feel the same way. As far as Magath, Saturday did convince me he is any better than what we had. The starting line-up was decent but then he made very strange substitutions and changes, and frankly we were lucky to hold on to the point. More strange management decisions - same old same old. The image of Stek grasping to pull that ball in but being too late pretty much epitomizes our season.

 

My concern is strictly down to fitness and the number of games left in the season. I have full confidence that we have a better shot at beating the drop under Magath than under Rene. I was 100% convinced we were going down under Rene.

 

If I'm Brad Guzan, I'd want to punch everyone of his defenders in the mouth. Dude gets bombarded every week. He had 2 or 3 really good saves, but nothing else he could do on the 4 goals ManUre scored. Villa could of/should of scored 3 or 4 themselves. Benteke had a view glorious chances he squandered.

Scoreboard watching today, which means pulling for Chelscum to beat Palace. A couple 6 pointers as Swansea host Norwich, and WBA are at home w/Cardiff. The Baggies all over Cardiff early 2-0.

 

You are right Heather, it's a mute point if we don't winning matches, but the Undead weren't going to win the title anyway. John Terry's OG might of saved Palace :angry-cussingblack:.I hated his teams at Stoke, but have to give Pulis credit for having the blueprint on staying up.

With Palace winning the Cardiff goal to steal a point and take 2 away from WBA was critical. Norwich getting hammered was probably the good result for us. They finish w/Liverpool, ManU, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

 

The Liverpool v Citeh match (3-2 win for the Scousers) was fantastic entertainment. Vincent Kompany is a great CB, but he was faked out on the first 'Pool goal and his miss hit slice to set up the winner late on will haunt him for a long time. One guy that taints the match was guess who?? Shocker Luis Suarez is up to his old ways and this time the ref absolutely bottled it. Suarez got a deserved yellow early and then later performed a CHEATING dive of the worst kind and should of gotten a second yellow. One angle shows the ref close and with a great view and simply w/not enough guts to send him off.

Aston Villa and Swansea are crawling to the finish line and their match on April 26 is shaping up as a vital one. Villa looked to be safe, but the injury to Benteke and others and a daunting final two matches (at Citeh and at Spurs) makes the Villains home matches (Hull and Southhampton) vital. The Swans screwed up when the fired Laudrup and are only sitting on 33 points.

 

Think Swansea was justified in firing Laudrup considering his dealins and lack of any professional work ethic (all allegations mind you), but hiring an untested player-manager was not a good idea.

 

Yes. I thought Jozy might have slipped as well. He kinda looked like his foot had slid out from under him. The announcers were speculating that he'd intentionally stepped on Azpilicueta and gone down, but I didn't think that was clear from the replay. Slipping like everyone else had in that match looked most likely.

 

Crazy things happen at the end of the season e.g Sunderland who had been gawd awful for weeks get 4 points from away games at Citeh & and the Undead? :shock: The only silver lining on a dark weekend of results was Liverpool holding off Norwich. WIll Citeh respond and beat WBA today? AIn't counting on it.

 

This is particularly frustrating to me and has also lessened my hope for staying up (or maybe I'm just experiencing a defense mechanism so that I'm not so crushed when we go down). I haven't been watching the other matches, but don't understand how, all of a sudden, Sunderland, Cardiff City, and Palace are competing with the top 6 while we flounder and fall back to old, bad habits (not marking men on set pieces, standing around and not moving off the ball, giving up multiple goals per match)....

 

There seemed to be an inordinate number of slips at the Cottage on 12 April as well. What puzzled my wife and I was the fact that they turned on the sprinklers and watered the pitch between the end of warmups and the tunnel procession. We couldn't understand why. It was a partly cloudy, comfortable, yet cool and somewhat humid day. Didn't seem to be a real need to water the pitch, unless it's mandated by league or FA rules for some reason. It had to be a factor in many players losing their footing in the first half.

 

Anyone see Graham Dorran's goal for WBA v City? Reminded me a little of a certain goal by Digger (v Hamburg, I think).