Man Utd v Chelsea

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

Jesus that is a lame attempt. You've reconstructed what I said; I didn’t say we're shit because of the Premier League, I said the Premier League and Sky are diminishing ours, and many others, chances of establishing ourselves in the top flight. As each season passes the gulf from the Premier League gets bigger and harder to bridge. More money goes in and game distances itself further; the rich get richer and poor get poorer. You'll get your occasional Hull or Reading, but they wont last. Reading soon blew up and Hull will too. English football as a whole is heading the wrong way, Sky and the Premier League are doing nothing to change that.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

How does Park get in the team?

Chelsea are OWNING the midfield, somewhat predictably.

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

I'm not watching the game. I only tend to bother with the Premiership at the end of the season to see if my predictions have come true.

If you're wondering what my prediction is .....top 4 will consist of Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool and 2 out of the 3 who went up will go back down again. I make the same prediction every year.

 

[El Presidente]

How do you measure 'big?'

Look at the size of my penis and halve it

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yes, of course there are. Just because you have a stadium doesn't mean you become brilliant. You have to be managed well in the boardroom and on the pitch, and you need the fans to fill a large chunk of said stadium. But in response to the very predictable comment above, the premier league is not such a monster that we can't possibly get in it. What is embarrassing is the jealousy that people outside it have of it, because we'd all LOVE to be in it. All that has happened is the top four are so far ahead of the rest that barely any teams can ever hope to break into that. As for simply getting into the premier league (which is what 'Keeping the dream alive' mentioned), we have as much of a chance as getting in it as anyone else.

But, the vast majority of promoted Championship teams have any longevity in the Premiership. So whilst it might be possible to get into the league....it is nigh of impossible to stay there for any time.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Look at the size of my penis and halve it

1.2 inches

 

[El Presidente]

Yes, of course there are. Just because you have a stadium doesn't mean you become brilliant. You have to be managed well in the boardroom and on the pitch, and you need the fans to fill a large chunk of said stadium. But in response to the very predictable comment above, the premier league is not such a monster that we can't possibly get in it. What is embarrassing is the jealousy that people outside it have of it, because we'd all LOVE to be in it. All that has happened is the top four are so far ahead of the rest that barely any teams can ever hope to break into that. As for simply getting into the premier league (which is what 'Keeping the dream alive' mentioned), we have as much of a chance as getting in it as anyone else.

I agree with you to a point, but as the top 4 positions are a closed shop (though hats off to Villa this season).

Since I started watching football the following clubs have been either first or second in the top division, and they will NEVER get there again

Forest
Derby
Leeds
Blackburn
Villa
Everton
QPR
City*
Newcastle
Ipswich

....and that's the disappointing thing

 

[Simon Morgan]

Yes, of course there are. Just because you have a stadium doesn't mean you become brilliant. You have to be managed well in the boardroom and on the pitch, and you need the fans to fill a large chunk of said stadium. But in response to the very predictable comment above, the premier league is not such a monster that we can't possibly get in it. What is embarrassing is the jealousy that people outside it have of it, because we'd all LOVE to be in it. All that has happened is the top four are so far ahead of the rest that barely any teams can ever hope to break into that. As for simply getting into the premier league (which is what 'Keeping the dream alive' mentioned), we have as much of a chance as getting in it as anyone else.

I agree completely. Once you get into the Championship you have every chance, that league is a complete lottery. I would not be surprised if teams like Swansea and Preston end up in the Premiership within the next 5 years. As you say, experiencing trips to Old Trafford, Anfield, the Emirates and not forgetting Fratton Park (!) is what dreams are made of.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

A combination of stadium size, crowds (not now, crowds if we were in a position to threaten promotion to the prem), money, and ability to attract players. Obviously now we're a lost cause, but fast forward five years and I don't see why we'll be any worse off than any of the clubs I listed above at the time they were breaking into the premier league. We'll have a ground as good as all of them, we would get crowds to match any of them (when they were in the championship), and Brighton will be an attractive place to play. The only doubt is money. We don't need a billionaire to do it, but we'll need a bit more than we have now.

I just wondered. I agree with your assessment about us being similar-ish to those teams. A number of things contribute to success (some intangible) but if we got a lot of them right and in the correct combination then I dont see why we cannot do very well.

 

[Don Quixote]

how is the league a lottery you play 46 games you can't be lucky for all of them

 

[Robot Chicken]

I'm sure Rooney just said "Fuzz off ref..."

 

[Simon Morgan]

how is the league a lottery you play 46 games you can't be lucky for all of them

OK, lottery's the wrong word then, but there are some strange results eg southampton winning at reading, preston winning at seemingly unbeatable wolves. Everyone down to Swansea in 10th has a chance of promotion. It is far less predictable than the Premier league.

 

[El Presidente]

Fulham, Charlton, Middlesbrough, Bolton....

Why are we, with Falmer, any different to those clubs?

The first three have multi millionaire chairmen/directors who have sunk huge sums into the clubs.

Bolton sold Burnden Park and used the proceeds to build the Reebok, we will be £50million in debt with Falmer, and will have to service that debt.

 

[Don Quixote]

OK, lottery's the wrong word then, but there are some strange results eg southampton winning at reading, preston winning at seemingly unbeatable wolves. Everyone down to Swansea in 10th has a chance of promotion. It is far less predictable than the Premier league.

yeah , it does seem that anyone can beat anyone in that league.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Fulham, Charlton, Middlesbrough, Bolton....

Why are we, with Falmer, any different to those clubs?

As I said the vast majority do not stay in the Premiership for any time. Watford, Swindon, Bradford, Leicester, Ipswich, Sunderland, Derby, West Brom, Leeds all immediately spring to mind. I cant really think of any who have established themselves beyond the 4 you mention. There are certainly more than the 9 I have mentioned.