MajesticSuarez

They were also destroyed twice by his current club. Tiago Alacantra leaving Barcelona for Manchester United would be like Luis Suarez leaving Liverpool for Newcastle.

Go on provide reasons why you think Manchester United who appointed David Moyes instead of a good manager will finish in the top 4. I'll tell you why I reckon they won't finish in the top 4 and why they won't win anything either. The reason quite simply is Moyes. He's a poor manager and vastly over-rated and tactically inept. Moyes in 11 years has finished in the top 4 once. Before you say that was at Everton, it makes no difference. It's all to do with atitude, mentalty and tactics. Moyes' overall atitude is a draw at grounds like Stamford Bridge is a brilliant result. Top managers will state that nothing other than a win is a top result. Moyes is a loser and has always been a loser. That's not going to change just because he's had his head rammed up Fergusons arse for the last 10 years in order succeed him. He's also not the pauper he's made himself out to be either. He's spent vast amounts on crap like Yakabu, Johnson and Kroldrup.

I've met Jimmy Case, he's a gentleman.

He could join lots of clubs to get game time. However I don't think he's stupid enough to leave Barcelona for a club that is facing terminal decline. Howard Webb has followed Baconface out of the theatre of delusions.

You are a mong.

Wrong. Pepe Reina has reiterated his desire to stay for the next 3 years. He has also said that the competition provided by Simon Mignolet will only make him perform even better. He was out of form last season, but only Joe Hart kept more clean sheets. How many will he keep when he's back to his best?

I wasn't the one that brought that lot up. I was just pointing out that it's bullshit that Tiago Alacantra would want to leave Barcelona to play in a midfield that contains shit like Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick.

Transfer news LIVE: Thiago set for United move next week - ESPN FC This is the one that smells of bullshit. Why would someone who plays for the best club side in the world want to play for a debt ridden club managed by the Scottish Harry Redknapp?

No I won't. You've lost that bet. Anyway now is the time to make predictions. When do you suggest we make predictions? Next April perhaps?

Spot on. It's leadership and organisation Liverpool need and Kolo Toure provides that.

This thread is just my opinion so don't shoot me. I believe this seasons title race is going to be hotly contested between the majority of last seasons top 7. I'm not including Everton as they have lost their manager and replaced him with a manager who has a 25% win percentage. So I'm going to evaluate the contenders based on what I feel their strengths and weaknesses are. Manchester United Strengths Their overall strength is their never say die atitude and their unwillingness to accept defeat. They turn draws and possible defeats into wins like nobody else. This was instilled into them by recently departed Alex Ferguson. They have a strong attack with 3 strikers capable of scoring lots of goals. Weaknesses One of Manchester Uniteds weaknesses is actually Fergusons successor David Moyes. It's just opinion, I don't rate him. It's the mentality. David Moyes at Everton was considered a success yet he won nothing in 11 years. There is widespread believe that he was a pauper in the transfer market. However the reality is he spent large sums on garbage like Andy Johnson, Per Kroldrup and Yakabu. When Moyes was Everton manager, his philosophy was, if we finish 18th, it's okay as long as Liverpool finish 19th. His ideals are that a 0-0 draw is a fantastic result at grounds such as the Etihad, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates and Anfield. Will this be accepted by the Old Trafford faithful? Of course not. I also don't think Manchester United are strong in midfield. They are going to be considerably weaker now that Paul Scholes has retired. Carrick is pedestrian, Cleverley is useless and Anderson, the less said the better. They have a strong back-line when all centre-backs are fit. But the problem they are going to have is keeping them fit. Smalling, Vidic and Ferdinand are injury prone. If they have to use Phil Jones who can't turn in a square and Jonny Evans, they may struggle. My prediction on where they will finish. 5th. Manchester City Strengths. Their overall strength is the spine of the side. It's arguably the best in the premier league. They have reinforced with the signing of Fernandinho. Weaknesses. Their biggest weakness is their overall ego and the fact they struggle if the brilliant Sergio Aguero is out for a spell. My prediction on where they will finish. 2nd Chelsea Strengths. Obviously Jose Mourinho, whom I believe to be currently the second best manager in Europe after Pep Gaurdiola. Another strength is their overall wealth of attacking talent. Weaknesses The owner interfering in team affairs and his trigger happy atitude. David Luiz can be catastrophic on occasions too. There is also John Terry. My precdiction on where they will finish 1st Arsenal Strengths. They play some of the best football in the league and have excellent attacking players in Walcott, Oxlaide Chamberlain, Wilshire and Cazorla. Weaknesses They have a tendency to lack balls. They should challenge for a champions league place, but they won't challenge for silverware or the title. My Prediction on where they will finish. 3rd Tottenham Hotspurs. Strengths. They have a great keeper, fantastic back-line and a very strong midfield. Weaknesses. Their forwards. Spurs simply don't score enough goals. They have been crying out for a top striker for years but have never signed one. This will prevent them from challenging for the title. My prediction on where they will finish 6th Liverpool Strengths Their renewed attacking power, Liverpool outscored the entire premier league in 2013 thus far. Brendan Rodgers has Liverpool playing some of their best football since they finished 2nd in 2009. Liverpool have unearthed a gem in Philippe Coutinho. He could be one of the stars of 2013/2014 Some of the things he does are unreal. Weaknesses. Liverpool have a tendency to show the better sides too much respect. They get easily bullied by the more physical sides. Luis Suarez is a ticking time bomb. Liverpool need to keep him and need to keep him on the pitch. When he's on form and in the mood, he's unplayable, but it's keeping him there. My prediction on where they will finish 4th. This is just my opinion, so don't shoot me. I would like to hear your opinions. but make them constructive and provide an arguement. It's all about debate.

Can you provide proof of that? You can't as it was never ever stated. Christian Eriksen in May suggested he would welcome a move to Liverpool to link up with his international captain Daniel Agger and his former Ajax captain Luis Suarez.

I reckon Pepe will start the season and remain as first choice for two seasons. Mignolet will then succeed him in the same way Ray Clemence started out as understudy to the flying pig and then succeeded him.

You're actually supposed to leave a comment after quoting :wallbutt:

You're actually right. Lucas is good. We need a real nasty bastard that will grab the opposition by the balls. They will refuse to let go until they sound like the Bee Gees. The last player like that we had was Javier Mascherano. Lucas was overall a better passer and more mobile, but when it came to being a wrecking machine Mascherano was boss.

Cheaper doesn't not necessarily mean lower quality. Let's take Christian Benteke and Andy Carroll as an example £7 million vs £35 million. Or Yohan Cabaye and Michael Carrick £3.5 million vs £18.6 millon. Rumour has it, not sure if it's fact or speculation. Liverpool could sign Toby Alderwield and Christian Eriksen for the same amount as it would have cost to sign Mkhitayran.

Exactly. Joe Allen is best used as the spare man in a flat 3. It's the 4-3-2-1 formation. He's not necessarily either a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder. What he does though is, he pressurises the opposition into mistakes. He presses and probes. The best example I can give is the home game against Spurs. We looked a far better side when Joe Allen came on as a sub. Brendan in that game got his tactics 100% spot on. Joe Allen became the spare man and forced Spurs into mistakes. If it means doing this when we're up against the better sides then so be it. Unlike what a complete and utter retard said earlier, Joe Allen is not a defensive midfielder.

I can see only one thing...smokescreen. Liverpool are just after doing what they did in January. I read somewhere in early may that Liverpools 1st choice midfield target was Christian Eriksen. Mkhitayran was an alternative target. Are Liverpool after clearing the way for themselves to sign Eriksen who was a one-time target for Borussia Dortmund? There is no chance of Spurs going in for Eriksen now seeing as they've signed Paulinho. Have Liverpool bamboozled Borussia Dortmund and the media? If Liverpool end up signing Christian Eriksen, it will mean that they actually have.

I can't see Brendan going for Ljajic. Brendan would have done his homework. Adem Ljajic was on trial at Manchester United and was as useful as Seba Veron. Zoran Tosic was also on trial and he was the better player. However it turned out that Tosic was so bad, he made Tom Cleverley look like Andres Iniesta.

I agree. I was never sure what his best position was or his actual role was. He's not good enough to sit tight alongside Lucas and boss a midfield in the same way Steven Gerrard does. He doesn't pressurise the opposition as well as Joe Allen can do. There is not a chance in hell of him being as good as Philippe Coutinho as a number 10. He also doesn't possess the athleticism of Jordan Henderson, he's not got the fitness levels. Shelvey although a livewire can appear to be sluggish. I read somewhere that there is definitely going to be a creative, goal-scoring midfielder added. However one midfielder had to be sacrificed. It was either Shelvey or Henderson. I personally think Brendan made the right call. Henderson is clearly the better player by a long way.

Not sure on left footed right backs. But Denis Irwin was a right footed left back. Ronnie Whelan in his early days played left mdfield for Liverpool even though he was right footed. Downing is left footed but can play wide right. Ryan Babel could also play either side.

I too find the appointment of Giggs and Neville amusing. If they wanted to appoint an arselicking moron with the IQ of 5 they could have brought Bryan Robson back. Well at least he's got coaching experience, he's also got the experience of relegating clubs, and has won the same amount as Moyes. These two are less imposing than Mike ''The nodding dog'' Phelan. I also find it amusing that Moyes has fucked up well before he's started. I'm not being biased or anything. I don't rate David Moyes, in my opinion he's a cross between Mark Hughes, Harry Redknapp and Steve Bruce. In other words, Manchester United have appointed mediocrity.

Explain why it's unrealistic. I've explained why it's realistic. The fact of the matter is, it's going to be way more evenly contested than it has been in a few years. Potentially 6 teams can win the title.

Jesus, how can one person be so fucking stupid. I never said the coaching staff was unfamiliar to Moyes, it unfamiliar to the United players. They haven't got the coaching staff they've previously worked with. That's a major disruption, that is change and change being the key word. Moyes has changed too much. To sustain success, you change nothing.

The good news is that there is a few players that could captain the side in Stevies absence. Pepe Reina has skippered Liverpool before, Daniel Agger is Denmark skipper, Luis Suarez slippered Ajax. My personal choice is Daniel Agger only because he's a centre back. I would have picked Luis Suarez but, I don't think a forward should be skipper.