Premier League 2011/12 general thread

[vanpeebles]

Shocking challenge by Frimpong for dirty Arsenal, what a two faced side they are. Wenger always lecturing on what is dirty play yet his own team consistently picks up red cards.

[abigsmurf]

Arsenal were unlucky there. Going to be a worrying few games given how crippled their squad are.

Liverpool got a big three points but I still think them getting 4th+ is a big ask on that performance.

[Plough Boy]

Another SCANDALOUS derby performance, masterminded by the man who supports the opposition. He must use some kind of subtle psychological warfare in the dressing room on his own team, so that they crumble against his boyhood heroes.

We've brought in a whole new team, yet the end result is the same - humiliation.

A man sent off, another who should have went, and a defeat at home.

Against a team who have sold three of their best players.

There's are no excuses. We will NEVER, EVER win a derby under Steve Bruce. That man's a ****.

MagBoss says "Happy Brthday Prinny - I hope you enjoyed the show!"

[hudson]

I'm sure we will find our footing as the season goes on. Early days, new signing teething etc. Very happy with our defence today and especially Enrique. May have been a different story if Suarez had come on earlier, as it was frustrating to watch beforehand.

Great 3 points. Deserved.

[prinnysquad]

MagBoss says "Happy Brthday Prinny - I hope you enjoyed the show!"

24 years of derbies, and I can only remember 4 wins. 1990, 1999, 2000, 2008.

Your lot had half that in one season vs your rivals.

Victory for Alan Pardew's team means that Newcastle have lost only one of the last 13 league games against their north-east rivals and it was Pardew's first since taking over as boss last season.

From bbc sport. What a brilliant record against a club who have been through a relegation and are meant to have been **** during most of that period.

[toythatkills]

Shocking challenge by Frimpong for dirty Arsenal, what a two faced side they are. Wenger always lecturing on what is dirty play yet his own team consistently picks up red cards.

He's a kid who was pretty much making his debut against one of the better teams in the Premier League, in a team in which he's surrounded by utter ****. It was just inexperience/overexcitedness/pressure. He'll get used to it.

And Gervinho last week can hardly be called dirty play, really, that was just stupidity.

[nakamura]

And Gervinho last week can hardly be called dirty play, really, that was just Joey Barton.

Amended!

[Jebus]

He's a kid who was pretty much making his debut against one of the better teams in the Premier League, in a team in which he's surrounded by utter ****. It was just inexperience/overexcitedness/pressure. He'll get used to it.

And Gervinho last week can hardly be called dirty play, really, that was just stupidity.

Is that some kind of excuse? It was a horrible tackle, you don't need to be 30 years old to know that kind of thing isn't cool. Frimpong will have been playing from a very early age, he will know you don't tackle that way.

I've always said, Arsenal bang on about how dirty other teams are - but most of the seriously bad challenges come from Arsenal. They play such a possession based game, they really don't know how to tackle.

Agree with Gervinho though, not exactly "dirty" per say.

I'd worry about the amout of recurring injuries at Arsenal though.

[toythatkills]

Is that some kind of excuse? It was a horrible tackle, you don't need to be 30 years old to know that kind of thing isn't cool. Frimpong will have been playing from a very early age, he will know you don't tackle that way.

I'm not trying to excuse it, but I just don't think it can be underestimated how playing against Liverpool in a stadium full of 60,000 people could affect the mindset of a young player to the point that they go over the top. He'll know it was wrong and it was, but it's easy to see how the atmosphere and circumstances could get to him when he's simply never played in that environment before and with that pressure.

It's by no means the same as a player with years of PL experience doing the same thing for a team that's been specifically sent out to be violent. Arsenal might make some bad tackles but I think it's unfair to say they're worse than anyone else (and I'm not saying they're better). It's just that when Arsenal make a bad tackle it's because they're **** at tackling. When Stoke do it it's because the only way they know how to get results is to "show 'em they're in a match."

[Stoppy2000]

Have stoke had 2 red cards already this season?

[Adrock]

Frimpong isn't **** at tackling. That was horribly timed and nasty. Whether or not the occasion got to him is by the by.

And when has not being able to tackle ever been an excuse? Any footballer at any level should know when their actions are gonna put somebody else in danger and whether or not they want to do that is upto the player. Its all in the mindset.

[abigsmurf]

Frimpong isn't **** at tackling. That was horribly timed and nasty. Whether or not the occasion got to him is by the by.

And when has not being able to tackle ever been an excuse? Any footballer at any level should know when their actions are gonna put somebody else in danger and whether or not they want to do that is upto the player. Its all in the mindset.

When you're Paul Scholes

"Oh dear, that could've been a broken leg, oh Scholesy you old scamp! A shame the ref felt the need to give him a yellow, it's only his 5th foul!"

[Adrock]

I think for every fan apart from United followers Scholes' inability to not be a dirty bastard was infuriating when the media played the same old tired lines.

As a crap footballer who has played for many years I've always known when a ball was there to be won or not. I've always known whether or not the challenge I was gonna make could end up catching the person. I've had games myself where I've serially fouled people because either I disliked them or they were just too bloody fast. Either way I always knew what I was doing.

So being crap at tackling is definitely not an excuse.

[Jebus]

I'm not trying to excuse it, but I just don't think it can be underestimated how playing against Liverpool in a stadium full of 60,000 people could affect the mindset of a young player to the point that they go over the top. He'll know it was wrong and it was, but it's easy to see how the atmosphere and circumstances could get to him when he's simply never played in that environment before and with that pressure.

But who is to blame for all of those circumstances? If the manager doesn't think he's ready then he shouldn't play him.

If he does think he's ready then there can be no excuse.

In Scholes' case, he finished his career about 10 red cards short of what he should have, and that's being conservative.

[Plough Boy]

Naaaaaaaridge 1-1 Stoke.

Game turned on sending off. ****ty were bossing it until then.
Foul was outside the box and red card was well harsh. Justice done with penalty save but down to 10 men it was always going to be hard. Bloody Kenwyne Jones - did SOD all whenever I saw him at the Stadium of Light. A 94th minute equaliser is a taste of our own medicine.

Absolutely gutted. We deserved to win.