EPL week 1

[rolltide]

like this early bet

2011/12 season stoke worst in EPL in goals (36),shots on goal (2.5), possession (39.9%), and shot attempts per match (9.9). Away from home down to 8.5 shots per match and just 1.7 on goal. Of their 36 goals only 14 were from open play (by far the league worst). Reading top defensive team in Championship and lowest scorers of any in the top 5 by a wide margin. Their only real threat is Pogrebnyak who does nothing for me anyway

Reading u2.25 -106

 

[nojuice9]

I like that wager, would like your thoughts on QPR v. Swansea. I see that Swansea has a new manager and I would believe that would mean new tactics, add in a number of new players for Swansea I see them getting off to a slow start. I am tore on QRR or the draw. Also, wish you the best this up coming season and I look forward to 'talking' to you and others during the season.

 

[rolltide]

saw swansea in preseason and i was impressed but unless they replace gylfi and allen they won't do better than 10-12th place. There are some stats that just can't be overlooked ...they were #3 (!) in possession last year,#2 in pass completion %, and #7 in goals during open play so the coach inherits a team that knows how to keep possession and pass it around. if he can get them to fire more shots i think they can be pretty good and they'd have to do better than 7 set piece goals (only villa was worse). the problem is laudrup doesn't know the epl and you just can't replace guys like sigurdsson and allen overnight so a finish in the "teens" is more likely.

as a united fan i can't see qpr go down fast enough. assholes can't get through a stoppage time without conceding twice? f them. Team has a lot of money and brought in park, one of the best mf and team players in the league, when healthy. they also now have fabio at wide back and he'll get a chance to play every week so hopefully he stays healthy and returns a better player. Personally i think they stink. Cisse, johnson, zamora, barton all blow and taarabt is way overrated (at least so far). They are terrible possession team, bottom 5 in pretty much any possession or passing stat, and didn't have a single goal on an odd-man break but got lucky with 5 own goals. Like stoke they play the "hit and hope" style because their mf can't hold onto the ball and their defenders are always out of position (dead last in fouls conceded/game). They can't leave the EPL fast enough for me

i wouldn't touch QPR myself...for one, they are second on my despise list to liverpool, but mostly because they aren't a team to trust. Last year they lost home to wolves, fulham, norwich, sunderland, and drew west brom. then of course they beat arsenal, liverpool, spurs, and chelsea so flip a coin

 

[nojuice9]

great reply, thanks. i will lay off the wager.

 

[neilboo]

If Van Persie stays in England, probably with United, he'll be a decent each-way bet for top scorer. He'll get better ball support than at Arsenal, but even if he stays, he'll be on target plenty of times.

 

[DialSquares]

if RVP goes to united or city he will be lucky to get 8-10 goals. He is not a traditional goalscorer...just ask Dutch fans. Arsenal's style gave him plenty of tap ins, open headers and he took most penalities. He won't take Pks at United nor get many chances with the ball shooting hogs at City. Only chance RVP has to lead the EPL in goals is to stay at Arsenal. Which is the end i think he will. And let's not forget the odds that RVP can play two years in a row without injury is practically nil.

gl this year rolltide in the EPL - i shouldn't bet any because i never win in the EPL but very hard to skip that league as it is the best league to watch and follow.

 

[VitoCatindig]

RVP will play against Sunderland with Lukas Podolski.

 

[rolltide]

sir alex and wenger are sitting down today to finalize the arrangement. if they reject 20m pounds again then united will walk away, as will rvp in the spring

also looks like Song heading to Barca.

 

[DialSquares]

it must be wenger in all this....i understand arsenal's philosophy of not paying outrageous funds for players but we seem to lose 2-3 guys per year now. In three years we lose Nasri, Cesc and RVP. I think Podolski and Giroud replace RVP no problemo but it can't just be about money. Funny they talk about wanting to win silverware but if they would all stay together they probably could win. But if Wegner fundamentally cannot produce winning teams anymore maybe that's why they continue to leave. Song is no miss for me if he goes - i always thought he was talking away from Aaron Ramsay and we don't have midfielder issues really. RVP leaving would at least end the drama....but Chamakh, Arshavin, Mertesacker and maybe Arteta have all been busts. Time to go Wenger and bring in John Herdman. Haha...

gl with RVP - I suspect he will be out 4-8 weeks if he plays today vs belgium

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

Van pussy will become quick friends w/utd's trainer....

 

[rolltide]

i'm not a huge RVP fan but i trust sir alex knows what he's doing. he can sell off eddie munster for 7-9M pounds which will help pay for the dutchman. prefer not to hold back chicharito and welbeck's development but a year without trophies at old trafford = panic time.

new word from today's meeting is the agreement will be in the 22-23M pound range ... also picked up a young Chilean striker this morning so the attack looks to be in order. maybe we can make a run at the carling cup now

agree on song. never thought he was barca material but guess he is

 

[rolltide]

for today's friendlies i'm treading lightly...

small double arg o2.5 with ldu loja in copa sudamerica

10/1 4-teamer of o2.5 in arg/ger, bra/swe, cyp/bul, and mex/usa

 

[DialSquares]

wow 23 million pounds for RVP....i have a bridge to sell sir alex too if he wants it. I guess the Dutch were told don't let the delicate flower play today so he can at least get one Man U game under his belt before he takes a 6 week holiday to the doctor's office. He should score a few for Man U but if you only watch arsenal highlights you will see the real RVP...missing open shots, screaming at his teamates, 50 offsides and balls kick 15 feet over the net. All that for 23 million pounds. Goodbye RVP....hopefully the money can go towards something and not the american's pocket.

ps messi missing a penalty --- he will never be the best player in the world if he can't do anything for country as well as club ... i didn't see the kick so maybe it wasnt his fault.

 

[VitoCatindig]

He should finish his contract and show Arsenal's fans that he has a pride. He can earn more money if he wants if he beieves in the club or maybe It's not his choice where to go.

Goodluck RVP! You're still one of the best.

 

[rolltide]

wow 23 million pounds for RVP....i have a bridge to sell sir alex too if he wants it. I guess the Dutch were told don't let the delicate flower play today so he can at least get one Man U game under his belt before he takes a 6 week holiday to the doctor's office. He should score a few for Man U but if you only watch arsenal highlights you will see the real RVP...missing open shots, screaming at his teamates, 50 offsides and balls kick 15 feet over the net. All that for 23 million pounds. Goodbye RVP....hopefully the money can go towards something and not the american's pocket.

wow, bitter much?

guessing you'll have the voodoo doll out tonight poking pins into "his" knee. I guess those 30 he netted last year never happened...fucking fans

 

[DialSquares]

I'm not bitter....he wasn't hurt last year which means he won't make christmas this year. It's simple math. for me, much like Cesc, the distraction is gone and that's all that matters. Podolski should fill the hole nicely...and maybe someone like Alex Chamberlain or Giroud will step up. I think so anyway .. with him we weren't winning CL, top 2 in the EPL or any cups. So now he's gone and we have 23 millions pounds and maybe in the same boat. I don't wish him harm - i'm less of a nutjob then most - but I wouldn't expect 20-30 goals this year. Unless Rooney gets hurt for a good 3-4 months and not RVP.

ps nice hit on your double....

 

[rolltide]

you're going to be very disappointed with podolski if you expect him to even score 20 in epl this year. i'd be surprised with anything more than 15. he's a "big fish in a small pond" sort of guy and won't handle the pressure of a big club. you might be right with chamberlain and giroud but i wouldn't bank on AOC for a few years...giroud could be a serious player though and i was impressed seeing him at mont. ...more impressed than hazard for sure.

huge diff in playing for gunners and united. he's no better than 4th best player on man u and will not have to play 90 every single match. as far as pk's? RVP only scored 2 of them last year so highly doubt he'll feel snubbed when rooney steps up. just don't understand why he'd immediately be on your shit list an hour after signing. dude put in 30 when your #2 guy had 8. also led EPL in assists 3 years ago so it's not like he is some one-year wonder.

united's probably best in a 4-4-1-1 but welbeck isn't a true front man, rvp is. I think this improves united but not enough to overtake city. like i said i'd be happy with a solid carling cup run after last year

 

[DialSquares]

hey - carling cup is arsenal's trophy this year...haha...i really just hope giroud and podolski can replace the 30 so if they both score 15 i'd be happy. I think for us with RVP it was a one man show and probably why we didn't win anything...same thing when we had Adebayor. With the way we play having two true goalscorers (i hope anyway) i think we will actually be a bit better. Having Chamakh or Bedtnar or Arshavin as our other striker just never worked. It is true that without RVP we will be worst and maybe like Nasri it does get frustrating seeing guys leave for bigger money. I liked the 30 EPL goals and all the big CL ones and maybe he deserves a bit more respect. But why you wouldn't want to win with the club that made you the player you are makes no sense. I do think if he can feed the ball to Rooney and co. he will be that much better though.. For me you guys or citeh winning is about the same now...but as long as liverpool finishes 6-7th and we finish ahead of Tottenham i'll be content (and qualify pass the group stages of CL) but silverware would be nice.

 

[rolltide]

i'd be happy if Liverpool finished 17th or 18th even if United go trophy-less again

 

[rolltide]

a couple late adds

Champ - Leicester over 2.5 risk 1.4u to win 1
Eng 2 - Rotherham -1 goal risk 1u to win 1


of course still have the main bet risking 2u (stoke u2.25)