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GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: 9

• GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: 9

• GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: 9

  StrumSolo > 28/10/2013, 16:38

  GOOD week...
  
  Chelsea
  A massive win for an ever-improving side, with Fernando Torres building on his performance against Schalke, and stealing the show. As it stands, surely they have to be favourites to go on and win the title?
  
  Liverpool
  West Brom at home, the sort of game to make Liverpool fans fear the worst. The Baggies actually won this fixture 2-0 last season, but a Luis Suarez hat-trick and Daniel Sturridge wonder-goal meant they didn’t get anywhere near the home side on Saturday. Still too early to talk about a title push, but Brendan Rodgers and his team haven’t done a lot wrong so far.
  
  Sunderland
  It was a win in this fixture last season that kick-started the Black Cats’ escape from relegation. The task facing them this year is even greater, but a win against your biggest rivals isn’t a bad place to start. A fit Steven Fletcher getting amongst the goals won’t hurt either.
  
  Southampton
  The Saints aren’t short of admirers at the moment, but Saturday’s win (which sent them 3rd for a while) was probably their most impressive performance yet. Fulham didn’t make much of a contest of it, but the home side were in complete control from the first minute til the last. How long can this run continue? How high can they finish?
  
  Everton
  Only behind Southampton on goal difference, but they don’t seem to be getting anything like as much credit. At the start of the season lot of people thought Martinez might struggle to keep the Toffees at the level David Moyes had set, he’s surpassing that standard at the moment.
  
  Spurs
  Up to 4th. Title challengers, just so long as the dodgy late penalties don’t dry up.
  
  
  BAD week...
  
  Man City
  Manuel Pellegrini’s had a reasonably easy time of it so far thanks to not being quite as awful as David Moyes. He’ll be hoping no-one notices that his side are now just 2 points ahead of United, and 6 points off the top spot having lost a third of their league matches to date. Hardly a glittering start.
  
  Joe Hart
  Another schoolboy error to add to the ever-growing list. Time for a new keeper and a bit of competition at City?
  
  Norwich
  Home wins against the likes of Cardiff are vital if the Canaries want to avoid a relegation battle. Another 0-0, with their strikers yet again MIA, and they sit third bottom having scored just 6 goals in 9 matches. How much longer can the board’s patience with Hughton last?
  
  Fulham
  This ageing side were always likely to struggle against Southampton’s energy and intensity, but no one expected them to be that awful. Just 2 shots on Saturday night, neither of them on target. Is Jol under a bit of pressure again?
  
  Palace
  They didn’t actually play that badly against Arsenal, and the 0-2 scoreline is one of their more respectable results this season. Sunderland’s win has sent them bottom though, it’s hard to see them climbing the table.
  
  What have I missed?
  
  Image Source

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  jj007 > 28/10/2013, 18:32

  Not a Manchester United fan, but surely the late win over Stoke City on saturday sums up a good week for them especially as they also won the midweek Champions League fixture. They are not playing well and are not winning pretty but this may just be the week that gets them going...

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  StrumSolo > 28/10/2013, 18:34

  (28/10/2013, 18:32)jj007 Wrote: Not a Manchester United fan, but surely the late win over Stoke City on saturday sums up a good week for them especially as they also won the midweek Champions League fixture. They are not playing well and are not winning pretty but this may just be the week that gets them going...

  
  Going behind twice and only just scraping past an awful Stoke side?
  
  Fuck em.
  
  :)

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  thewolfman > 29/10/2013, 01:02

  The Joe Hart debate is one that will run and run as long as he keeps making errors and how do Manchester City handle it? The only competition Hart ever had there was Shay Given and since then he has always had quite cheap back up, Pantilimon cost a mere £3 million. Do they carry on with Hart hoping that he gets through his bad patch, in the same way that Peter Schmeichel got through his in the 1990s when he made a few errors or do they take him out of the team to try to give him a rest and refresh? However City do it they are caught between a rock and a hard place, if they buy a keeper in to compete with Hart then it could knock his confidence, if they put Pantilimon in and he plays like Gordon Banks then Hart could turn into the next Chris Kirkland but if they keep him in there and he continues to make mistakes then it will damage the team and their ambitions. You say is it time for a new keeper at City, Luca Di Montizemolo said about Ferrari that he didn't want two roosters in the hen house and then went and signed Kimi Raikkonen as competition for Fernando Alonso and it reminds me of that. Do you really think City would add another 'rooster' of a keeper? As a side note, have you seen who City's third choice keeper is these days? He would know exactly what Hart is going through!!

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  StrumSolo > 29/10/2013, 10:10

  (29/10/2013, 01:02)thewolfman Wrote: The Joe Hart debate is one that will run and run as long as he keeps making errors and how do Manchester City handle it? The only competition Hart ever had there was Shay Given and since then he has always had quite cheap back up, Pantilimon cost a mere £3 million. Do they carry on with Hart hoping that he gets through his bad patch, in the same way that Peter Schmeichel got through his in the 1990s when he made a few errors or do they take him out of the team to try to give him a rest and refresh? However City do it they are caught between a rock and a hard place, if they buy a keeper in to compete with Hart then it could knock his confidence, if they put Pantilimon in and he plays like Gordon Banks then Hart could turn into the next Chris Kirkland but if they keep him in there and he continues to make mistakes then it will damage the team and their ambitions. You say is it time for a new keeper at City, Luca Di Montizemolo said about Ferrari that he didn't want two roosters in the hen house and then went and signed Kimi Raikkonen as competition for Fernando Alonso and it reminds me of that. Do you really think City would add another 'rooster' of a keeper? As a side note, have you seen who City's third choice keeper is these days? He would know exactly what Hart is going through!!

  
  It is a difficult one. Not sure another 'rooster' is the answer, maybe a young up-and-coming keeper who doesn't expect to play every week, but can still provide serious competition and keep Hart on his toes.
  
  I've not seen loads of Pantilimon but it doesn't look like he's much of a threat. Jack Butland perhaps?
  
  Or it might be that Pellegrini has seen enough and will just replace Hart. Victor Valdes is available.. That'd be a little hasty though I think.

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  imrani > 29/10/2013, 11:26

  I don't think an adequate replacement is a bad idea. Utd had an issue at first with de gea. They started playing Lindegaard but giving de gea the encouragement to oust him and it worked. Also at spurs Hugo Lloris knows that his place depends on his performance as there is more than adequate alternative and it helped him too.

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  StrumSolo > 29/10/2013, 11:47

  (29/10/2013, 11:26)imrani Wrote: I don't think an adequate replacement is a bad idea. Utd had an issue at first with de gea. They started playing Lindegaard but giving de gea the encouragement to oust him and it worked. Also at spurs Hugo Lloris knows that his place depends on his performance as there is more than adequate alternative and it helped him too.

  
  Yeah but Lindegaard was never bought in to be first choice, and with Brad Friedel well in to his 40s he's probably alright with just making the odd cup appearance. United and Spurs are good examples though and they probably have the strongest keeper options in the league, but it only works when everyone's happy with their role.
  
  So, when you say adequate replacement, do you mean adequate competition or a full-on world class replacement? I think Butland would be a good option if it's the former, but if they're going nuclear...
  
  Iker Casillas is after a move, isn't he?
  
  There's no way you could keep the likes of him and Hart both happy though.

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  imrani > 29/10/2013, 17:31

  Adequate replacement and world class is one in the same thing when you are talking about a team the stature of Man city. Or it should be. From an England point of view who cares about keeping Iker Casillas happy. Just give Hart something to help him focus and work.

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  StrumSolo > 29/10/2013, 18:22

  (29/10/2013, 17:31)imrani Wrote: Adequate replacement and world class is one in the same thing when you are talking about a team the stature of Man city. Or it should be. From an England point of view who cares about keeping Iker Casillas happy. Just give Hart something to help him focus and work.

  
  Would Casillas help Hart focus and work? Or would that sort of arrival just make him think his time was up?
  
  They wouldnt be signing Casillas as a bench-warmer would they?

• RE: GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

  imrani > 29/10/2013, 18:39

  They could afford to to sign him as a bench warmer and besides he would only be a benchwarmer if he was not playing aswell as hart and vice versa. I would be worried if Hart wanted to move on because of competition. The greatest thing about Hart is his mental strength. He seems unfazed by mistakes. People like Robinson, Green, Foster all suffered because of the pressure of making a mistake. Hart seems to dust himself off and carry on with confidence.
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