Canen's Premier League Season Review: 07/08

[Canen Darkflight]

For those of you who follow the Barclay's Premier League, this is for you. I realise that the majority of people on here will not give a flying duck about the English football leagues, or the FA, or UEFA ect ect...

But for those of you who do, how did you rate this season?

Was this the best ever title win for United, and will they lift that evasive second European Cup? Or will Chelsea overcome their defensive injury worries in Ashley Cole and John Terry to win their first ever Champion's League final?

Also, what do you think about the rest of the league's happenings, including speculation on Sven's departure from City after their 8-1 mauling by Middlesborough, the relegation of Birmingham (and the threatened resignations from David Gold and Sullivan), Reading and Derby, and who is your top XI this year?

My Top XI

GK: Edwin Van Der Sar. Although his distribution suffered at the end of the season he has been thoroughly excellent throughout, proving he is physically younger than his age.

LB: Patrice Evra. Consistantly overlapping with speed and prowess down the left flank, much in the same way our Gary Nev used to do. Been enormous for United this season.

CD: Rio Ferdinand. However much of a tosser he may be off the pitch at times, he'll always shut people up on the field with another first rate shift. The rock this season for United.

CD: John Terry. Chelsea's answer to Rio. Has been a talisman for them as usual, providing them with a solid defense and a great leader.

RB: Wes Brown. In Gary Nev's absence has been a good replacement, and crested another winner's medal by signing a new contract, ending doubts about his future.

LW: Joe Cole. What a player he's been, powerful shot, strong on the ball, always a threat. May have had a quiet season by his standards but he still ranks highly in my books.

CM: Anderson. I know he hasn't played much, which sort of defeats the point of being a player of the season, but I watched him against Dynamo Kiev and his passing, as proven there, can destroy teams. One for the future and a fan favorite at United.

CM: Paul Scholes. Some say he's past it. Maybe the old Scholes would score more goals, but the work rate, vision and flickers of brilliance from the ginger demon himself impresses me season after season. What DOESN'T impress me is his disciplinary record. Should have been sent off against Wigan and was lucky to be on the pitch.

RW: Cristiano Ronaldo. Who else? He has been simply magnificant, on another planet, and awesome this season. 41 goals in all competitions for a winger is a very impressive feat and has been the hero for United this season. Can still improve by turning up the heat in the big games, though.

S: Fernando Torres. He may play for the bin-dippers but he's a wonderful striker, and I think most United fans would want him in their team, even if he does look like Barbie.

S: Didier Drogba. May dive like a fairy, but his physique and strength, and eye for goal, are unmatched as a forward in the Premier League. You can't argue with his goal record at Chelsea either.

[Letho]

A ManU fan, I assume. Man, a couple of years ago, when the pain of the '99 Champions League Final was still fresh for me (and as a Bayern Munich fan, there was quite a lot of pain and anger that year as you might imagine), I would probably try to rip your head off and piss down your throat. But that was before. I'm a different man now, all grown up and whatnot, and I hold no grudges I guess. But let's not get off topic.

I'd first like to say that I adore the football that is played in the Premier League. For the last couple of years I was always saying that the best football was played there and this season proves that quite nicely, what with three English teams in the semis of the Champions League. Not only does the football played there has a head and a tail and everything in between, but it's also fun to watch. There's excitement, there's flair, there's technique, there's goals and precision passing, there's everything that makes football a fun game.

I agree that this was one of the better seasons lately. The fact that the title owner was decided in the last 90 minutes alone speaks how intense and exciting this season was. Looking back at previous seasons and comparing it to this one, I think that the one where Arsenal took it (can't remember what year it was) when they beat Manchester United on Old Traford was just as exciting. But my memory is blurry, so I might be mistaken. Now, as a Tottenham fan, I'm not too happy about another season spent in the middle of the table, but I guess that's what you get when you root for a team that's not (yet) able to go for the title. Well, league title anyways. At least they snatched the Carling Cup.

As for the Champions League finals, I think that the momentum is on Manchester's side at this point. They got the title already, they're playing good football and they have a player that can provide game-winning magic. However, Christiano Ronaldo is one man and can play only as much as the opposing players allow him, and I don't think Chelsea would let him run circles around them. Chelsea's problem is that they receive cheap goals, goals from half-chances and lousy clearances and rebounds. There's only so much that John Terry can block. But I wouldn't write them off. No, in 90 minutes of football at this level, anybody can beat anybody and there are no safe bets. I would like to see Chelsea take it, though, since they've never managed to do it before.

Now, for the top eleven, in sort of a 4-3-3/4-5-1, depends how you look at it:

GK: I have to go with Petr Cech here, as I still think he's possibly the best goalkeeper in the world. Chelsea may receive a cheap goal or two here and there, but it's seldom because of him.

LB: I have to agree with Evra here, though I get a feeling he doesn't have that much of a competition. There aren't that many good left backs, I'm afraid. Clichy comes to mind, but Evra is better.

CB: Jamie Carragher. You just have to love this guy. His timing is perfect, his tackles clinically precise, he positions very well. And he has heart.

CB: I can't really decide between Terry and Ferdinand, as they are both great defenders. Perhaps Terry because he's more of a leader on the field then Ferdinand. You can always see him communicating with his players, lifting their morale if necessary.

RB: I like Emmanuel Eboue here. He does his job in the defense quite well, but can also overlap very well and get the ball forward when midfielders are unable.

DCM: Claude Makelele. I believe every team needs a pitbull, someone who will run after every ball, mark that crucial opponent midfielder or make a foul when necessary. I think there are few better the Makelele at this. Maybe Gattuso from Milan.

CM: Steven Gerrard. Liverpool's icon and probably the best damn center midfielder right now. He can pass, he has thunder in his feet and he leads his team like few players can.

CM: Cesc Fabregas. Granted, he didn't have that great of a season, but he's young, he has loads of talent and he will only get better.

LW: Ryan Giggs still, despite his age. Granted, he doesn't have many games left in him, I suppose, but he's still good for at least 60 minutes of top flight football.

RW: Who else indeed. Christiano Ronaldo is probably the best player in the world right now and for a reason. Whoever saw him play know that there can be no best team without him.

S: Didier Drogba without a doubt. He's big, he's strong, but he's not a stump. He is now what Christian Vieri was some ten years ago.


Worthy mentions: Nemanja Vidic, who established himself as a solid center back; Fernando Torres, who acclimated himself to the new team very well indeed; Dmitar Berbatov, though he could've scored a couple of more goals; Eduardo Da Silva, because I'm Croatian as well and he's a great young player that suffered a monstrous injury; Vedran Corluka, NOT because he's Croatian as well, but because he was one of the best City's player throughout the season; Robbie Keane, because he's Irish. And plays for Tottenham. :P

[DT!]

Gotta say, Chelsea has a very good chance at pulling this one off. Their last game was completely amazing and if they play like they did there in the finals they'll be straight.

[Canen Darkflight]

LW: Ryan Giggs still, despite his age. Granted, he doesn't have many games left in him, I suppose, but he's still good for at least 60 minutes of top flight football.

An interesting inclusion. I'm a United fan through and through, yes, and I will be the first to praise Giggs for his service to the club, but apart from that golden few last minutes, I think he has had a poor season by his standards and i'm not sure he'll get another good 60 mins. Scholes by all accounts has not had a great one either, Barcelona aside, but has had flickers of brilliance and that for me keeps him on.

I would have put Nani in before Giggs. However, saying that, Nani has a lot to learn about his decision making.

And and as for left backs, Ashley Cole is the only other contender for Evra, but he's such a loudmouthed and dirty tosser that I couldn't bear to include him. And that's for his football, never mind his private life.


Gotta say, Chelsea has a very good chance at pulling this one off. Their last game was completely amazing and if they play like they did there in the finals they'll be straight.

Their chance is 50%, same as United. I wouldn't describe their last game as "amazing" though. They were unlucky not to be 3-1 at the end but I think that not clinching the title may have dimmed their edge for the final.

[Raelyse]

Your guys picks are totally whack man.

GK: David James without a shadow of a doubt. He kept the most clean sheets but worst of all, he stopped Man United getting their treble.

RB: Has to be Bacary Sagna. This man is fucking immense in defense and attack and what more can you ask?
CB: Rio Ferdinand has been a consistent rock for the whole season. Even popped up with a few goals.
CB: Martin Laursen didn't get as much credit as I feel he deserves for the stuff he did this season. Look at Villa's defense and it's all pretty much down to him.
LB: It was so close between Evra and Lescott here but I have to plump for Evra. He's just so good attacking and as a result, doesn't get caught out defensively because he pushes the other players so far back. In the dark days at the beginning when United weren't doing too well, he was easily our best player.

RM: Cristiano Ronaldo. Nothing I say will do him justice.
CM: Was thinking of Fabregas and he would have got it in January but this is a team of the SEASON and thus I decided to go for Steven Gerrard who has been so brilliant for so long.
CM: Again tempted for Cesc, but decided with Gareth Barry who embodied everything that Aston Villa did this season and was box-to-box in every game. He is really a fantastic player.
LM: David Bentley gets my vote. He didn't do too well towards the end of the season, but he was immense up until April and he is definitely the new Becks.

FW: Emmanuel Adebayor and Fernando Torres have killed defenses all season long. They play for disgusting teams, though.

SUBS:

Brad Friedel
Nemanja Vidic
Joleon Lescott
Cesc Fabregas
Roque Santa Cruz

[Canen Darkflight]

Wait, mate. You've missed John O'Pie off your subs bench. The ultimate in United utility players!

Saying that, Fletcher has had a good season by his standards (which are usually low but credit to him for this season's performance). And you're right about Laursen, although I still stick by my back four.

Ashley Cole is still a twat, though.

[Letho]

An interesting inclusion. I'm a United fan through and through, yes, and I will be the first to praise Giggs for his service to the club, but apart from that golden few last minutes, I think he has had a poor season by his standards and i'm not sure he'll get another good 60 mins. Scholes by all accounts has not had a great one either, Barcelona aside, but has had flickers of brilliance and that for me keeps him on.

I would have put Nani in before Giggs. However, saying that, Nani has a lot to learn about his decision making.That's just it. Nani is still green and it shows. Giggs will always put at least a decent performance and be a constant threat to the opposition. I have a feeling that with Nani it depends on the mood. He has some flashes of awesome, but isn't consistent enough yet. Maybe in a year or two.

Also, I'd like to add Reina of Liverpool to the worthy mentions. I don't think I remember a game where his performance was lousy. In fact, I'm even tempted to replace Cech with him in the best eleven.

[Raelyse]

I don't think Giggs had a good season at all. Early on, he was a 6 for me in most matches but from January onwards it dropped to 5's and he subsequently lost his place to Park and Nani.

There is always a chance for the fantastic with Nani which is why I presume he kept playing but I think we'll only see the best of him next season.

Fletcher was okay. I realized he was good enough to be a United bench warmer last season and he hasn't done anything to shake my opinion in this one.

I can't understand why Letho picked Cech. He made CRUCIAL CRUCIAL mistakes this season and was out for most of the campaign. On history, he might be the best but I can't see how he's better than James or even Friedel this season.

Watch the FA Cup match between United and Portsmouth or the 1-1 Draw with Blackburn and you can see how those 2 stifled United's strikes so well.

On a related note, I can see Croatia doing well at the Euros. They have two great midfielders in Kranjcar and Modric and their group is not the hardest. They are my dark horse.

[Canen Darkflight]

I second that. Croatia are not to be underestimated. We've learnt that before.

One thing though. Has anyone noticed that when Alan Parry commentates on United matches, we get a bad result? You hear a lot of bullshit about referees being paid off and players throwing the games and even rolling over and dying against other clubs, but I blame that scouse loving bin dipping bad omen. He's put a curse on us, as evident in the above mentioned games :)

I also agree with Raelyse about Friedel. I would think this was his best season to date, bless his shiny head.

Nani and Anderson were always intended to be players for the future, but they have performed above that expectation and therefore established themselves with fans. Except that stupid, dickhead headbutt. That's where Nani falls down, his decision making. Sometimes he shoots without thinking about that vital pass or cross. Saying that, so did Ronny in his first few seasons, and look how he turned out.

Ji Sung Park is 50-50. He's worked hard, put a few decent crosses in, but keeps falling on his arse. He needs to find balance and add a bit of physical prowess to his game. He's too physically weak for that role and often gets muscled out by defenders.

James will get an England call up again soon...but let me tell you something, keep an eye on Ben Foster. He'll be next.

[Raelyse]

Anderson has done fantastic and isn't in the team because the other 3 are monsters. As for Nani, I like him when he's good but that's not often.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Joe Hart is ahead of Foster... for now.

[Canen Darkflight]

Anderson has done fantastic and isn't in the team because the other 3 are monsters. As for Nani, I like him when he's good but that's not often.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Joe Hart is ahead of Foster... for now.

I agree with you on Anderson. He can string a pass 80 yards down the pitch ang glue the ball to Rooney's feet, but he has seldom had opportunity to demonstrate this in real time. He is going to be the Keano / Scholesey replacement I think. I first watched him vs Dynamo Kiev and he destroyed them.

As for Joe Hart, I disagree. We have better keepers, such as DJ, Foster (again, in the pecking order you may be right but if we're measuring off talent alone this is a different story) and Paul Robinson.

Latest news in the papers say that Evra is sweating on a new deal. He has a year left on his contract and no new offer yet, despite wanting to start talks....Ok, if I were Manchester United right now, i'd get that deal done. Wes Brown, Rio Ferdiand and Michael Carrick have all got new deals so I would just leap on it and get it sorted.

Didier Dive-ba is looking more and more likely to be off to AC Milan. Why is it that he only talks to L'Equip, that shit French magazine? That's where all these bloody quotes are coming from.

EDIT: Just read an article on the BBC website that Henrik Larsson has been named in Sweden's Euro 2008 squad. That'll be his third comeback then. Watch out Europe!

[Letho]

I can't understand why Letho picked Cech. He made CRUCIAL CRUCIAL mistakes this season and was out for most of the campaign. On history, he might be the best but I can't see how he's better than James or even Friedel this season.Hey, give the guy a break. He almost got his brains mashed. And he looks funny in that hat he's wearing all the time now. :P
On a related note, I can see Croatia doing well at the Euros. They have two great midfielders in Kranjcar and Modric and their group is not the hardest. They are my dark horse.Yeah, this is one time that I'm liking my country team. The manager, Bilic, did exceptionally well in the qualifiers given how young of a manager he is. He has a mixture of older, experienced players and younger ones who are eager to show their skills. The only position that I'm really worried about is that of a goalkeeper. Pletikosa is a decent goalkeeper at best. Also, I think we could've been considerably more dangerous if Eduardo Da Silva wasn't injured. Still, I'm rooting for Germany as per usual.
Didier Dive-ba is looking more and more likely to be off to AC Milan. Why is it that he only talks to L'Equip, that shit French magazine? That's where all these bloody quotes are coming from.Probably because he played for Marseille a lot, so he got used to the French. :P It will suck ass if he goes to AC Milan. I fucking hate Milan. And pretty much every Italian club.


On a rather related note, what do you think about Zenit lifting the UEFA Cup trophy? I think they goddamn deserve it. After decimating my beloved Bayern in the semis, there was little chance that Glasgow Rangers could've stopped them. Congrats to them. It's been a while since a Russian club got a European trophy.

[Lakin_of_DpN]

Australia is the last minute entrant, (Who cares if we are on the other side of the world)and wipes all your teams out, OH! MG, then brings the cup home to good ole Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.

Yay...

Edits: Yes I know, will never happen. -smacks- Sowries -Slips out-

[Canen Darkflight]

On a rather related note, what do you think about Zenit lifting the UEFA Cup trophy? I think they goddamn deserve it. After decimating my beloved Bayern in the semis, there was little chance that Glasgow Rangers could've stopped them. Congrats to them. It's been a while since a Russian club got a European trophy.

What I think is that the Rangers fans need to clean up my fucking city. Did you see the trouble they caused? The were stood in Piccadiily Gardens watching the game on the big screen, and then when it failed, they rioted. I don't know if anyone on this forum has seen what 100,000 pissed up angry Scots looks, feels, or sounds like, but I assure you it feels a bit like that Chinese earthquake. On crack.

They trashed everywhere. And I have to go through that mess today to get to my training provider.

Bastards.

Zenit deserved to win it. They dominated the first half, possession was in their favour. Still, credit to the Ranger's team for getting that far and nearly doing the Quadrouple.


Australia is the last minute entrant, (Who cares if we are on the other side of the world)and wipes all your teams out, OH! MG, then brings the cup home to good ole Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.

Yay...

Edits: Yes I know, will never happen. -smacks- Sowries -Slips out-

If Austrialia win the World Cup, I will kill myself. It just won't be worth listening to Raelyse's rants. As a hardcore pom, it wouldn't be worth getting up in the morning.


Still, I'm rooting for Germany as per usual.

May I ask why, considering you are Croatian?

[Raelyse]

Probably because he's a glory supporter. ;)

He did it at Germany 2006, despite the fact that Croatia were there too.

[Canen Darkflight]

That's just mental. You support your own country, surely?

[Letho]

May I ask why, considering you are Croatian?Good question. I was always a fan of their mentality, you know, the whole not giving up until the very end of the game. I think we all know the famous statement made by Gary Lineker who said that football is a game where 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and in the end the Germans win. Granted, that doesn't necessarily reflect on the latest generations of players, but somehow that stubbornness and never giving up stuck with me. On top of that, my family draws roots from Germany since my grandfather was a German. And also, they make awesome cars. :P

It's definitely not because I'm a glory supporter. When Germany utterly failed in the '04, not passing the group stage, I went and bought their official shirt, showing my support for them. I rooted for them when Croatia hammered them 3-0 in '98 World Cup. If I was a glory supporter, I'd support Brazil and I most definitely don't.

Don't get me wrong, though. It's not that I don't support Croatia as well. I do, just not when they're playing the Germans. Which consequently doesn't make me the most likable guy in the proximity when those two teams are playing as you might imagine.

[Canen Darkflight]

Wow. I would stay away from the supporters bar afterwards mate. It might be a little hot in there after any Ger vs Cro games. ;)

[Canen Darkflight]

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Date: Weds, 21 May Kick-off: 1945 BST Coverage: LIVE on ITV1 and Sky Sports 1, BBC Radio Five Live, BBC Radio London 94.9, BBC Radio Manchester; BBC Sport website.

Manchester United (The real Red Army) v.s Chequebook FC

COME ON YOU REDS!

United 2-1

[Letho]

Lucky bastards! Well, the prediction that this one could go either way certainly came true, not only because the game went to penalties (which are a roulette indeed), but because both teams had almost equal amount of opportunities. I think that perhaps Chelsea might feel a bit more unlucky not to win it. I mean, they struck both the bar and the upright, and on top of that the referee oversaw the penalty on Malouda (though they were quite lucky with Lampard's goal). On the other hand, Manchester United also had their share of opportunities. I think everybody's heart stopped when Giggs took a pot at an empty goal and Terry managed to flick it out.

In the end, a deserved trophy for ManU, but if Terry scored, it would've been a deserved trophy for Chelsea as well. It shows just how thin of a line is between a heroism and tragedy. Christiano Ronaldo and John Terry certainly walked on both sides of that line today.

Two things I'd like to point out, though. First is the refereeing that was of questionable quality. Lubos Michel made some serious mistakes in this match, I think. The penalty was hard to notice, I guess, but he also constantly disregarded fouls on Joe Cole and his linesmen made several wrong decisions when it came to corners. In short, the football was on the top level, the refereeing wasn't.

Second is the terrain, which was obviously very difficult to play on. I have no idea what kind of grass did they plant, but it looked slippery as hell out there. I think it diminished the quality of football, but not overly so.

In the end, congratulations to Manchester United and all their fans. ManU went through the Champions League undefeated, they have the top scorer/best player of the competition and they play excellent football. It was a pleasure watching them play, even though I'm not a fan. My hat's off to them.

[Canen Darkflight]

Lucky bastards!

Yep.


In the end, a deserved trophy for ManU, but if Terry scored, it would've been a deserved trophy for Chelsea as well.

I'm a Manchester United fan, and a happy one, but I think we were extremely lucky to win this trophy. Sometimes though, luck is what you need.

GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!

[Descient]

Fantastic, i thought the entire match was very entertaining. I completely agree that the ref was pants. I think he made awful decisions for both teams, and kept killing the pace of the match at stupid times from minor touches. Kind of made you feel like footballs going to be a none contact sport if the ref keeps that up.

In my own personal opinion, i think if united had put away those chances in their first half domination, then it was all over. And yes i know Liverpool came back against Milan at 3-0 down that time, but you couldn't help feel at that point it was United all over, i just couldn't see Chelsea scoring enough goals to get back at us. But as it is, that very lucky goal by Lampard gave Chelsea the confidence for the second half and it seemed to have killed United's entire game, as they came out very negative second half. I was very edgey on the second half as Chelsea threatenned us, but once Lampard hit the bar and Drogba hit the post, it got you thinking, is this gonna be fate that united score just before the end? Again?

Ha, maybe not, but we still won and the game was great and right to the wire, can't ask alot more than that. Kinda felt sorry for Terry at the end, he was distraught. :( But someones got to miss at some point, unfortuantely it was him. And no one cares about Anelka missing, shows why they left him out of the first 5 shooters. :D

CHAMPIONS!

[Letho]

I'm a Manchester United fan, and a happy one, but I think we were extremely lucky to win this trophy. Sometimes though, luck is what you need.Being lucky is becoming somewhat of a habit for Manchester United when it comes to Champions League finals. I remember them also getting got lucky against Bayern in 99/00 with those two goals in additional time. :P But hey, luck is an integral part of the game as well.

I agree with Descient's review of the game. United pretty much controlled the game in the first half, but the equalizer shook them pretty bad. It was a great impact on the morale of the team. I mean, imagine how they felt when they outplayed Chelsea in the first half and all they had to show was a 1-1 score? Must've been a grim couple of minutes in their locker room.

[Canen Darkflight]

Ok, now that i've absorbed the impact of winning the Champion's League, i'll provide my review.

The Game:

Firstly, and I said this from the start, we (United) were facing a team in Europe that can honestly and truthfully beat us on any given day. I would not be lying to anyone here if I told you that I would have felt more confident playing Liverpool in the final (yes, I know there is a lot of bollocks flying around about their so called European invincibility, but I don't give a shit, they would have been my preferred choice, even if just to wipe the smile off their faces in front of them).

The thing peole seem to forget is that Chelsea are a very powerful team, physically. Drogba, despite being an overpaid, overgrown fairy face, can easily muscle his way through defenders. Terry is a big lad. Lampard is strong and quick too. Ballack is a prick, but he's big.

The Banter

(On a seperate and unrelated note, there was quite an amusing chant flying round the Fox and Hounds last night where I watched the game. Everytime the german prick fouled or did something stupid, the United faithful started singing to the tune of she'll be coming round the mountain: "There were 5 German Bombers in the air (x5)" followed by "And the English gunner shot one down" / "And the Russian Sniper shot one down" / "And our Welsh Winger shot one down" (When Giggs came on, of course.), followed by chants of "two world wars and one world cup". Petty, I know, but nonetheless amusing.)

The Chances

On the day it turned out prety much the way I expected, minus an extra United goal. Chelsea were going to score at least once. Fitting it was Lampard. But then again there were a number of times where both teams could have gone up three a piece (I reference of course the various woodwork deflections on Chelsea's part, and Petr Cech keeping Carlos Tevez and Carrick at bay. I now see why Letho had him down as the best. Perhaps last night he showed it, too.)

The Penalties:

Ronaldo bottled it, and I knew the moment he hesitated as he usually does that he had done. He waited too long, picked his spot and Cech read it like a book. Sorry, mate, can't win them all, but you should have blasted it down into the right.

Terry was unlucky. If he had scored we would have been out, and I would have had a crap walk home. He lost his footing and miskicked the penalty. Again, gutting for him, but sometimes you know that the name is on the trophy on days where you get luck like that. The miss coupled with their woodwork shots sent that signal to me as Giggs planted his in and Anelka didn't.

The Sending Off

You deserved it, you diving cunt.

All in all...

United should take this season and think "We are a team that was supposed to be for the future, and we are performing well now". Given, again, luck was a huge part of it, but so was the skill, class and determination we showed, as did Chelsea, until the end.

Right, enough of this mature bollocks. I have to text my stepdad to remind him his beloved Chelsea failed epically.