# 2014-15 Barclays Premier League Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 10, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248 "2014-08-10T17:07:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/141 "2015-01-05T01:38:34Z")
> [@BOOM](#): > > Also a Spurs fan (hi!). > > No idea what happened on NYD but we suddenly appear to be looking at a new paradigm - at least while the somewhat implausible Harry Kane remains fit … Or as long as he remains signed to your side–as a City fan, he gets me salivating in the same heelish, predatory way Wilfried Bony does. Speaking of City, boring ol’ James Milner saved our bacon today, and got to be the man of the match on his birthday, no less! Cups of tea for everyone, courtesy of Jimmy Milner! We can’t get him signed soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/142 "2015-01-11T19:31:36Z")
Not the best weekend for City, but Un\*ted lost, so that does always take a bit of the sting out, eh? Chatting with a friend this morning, we observed that Tottenham Hotspur seems to be the hipster club of choice. Anybody else notice this? Any idea why? You’d think they’d be ironically following Luton Town or something. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/143 "2015-01-11T21:46:17Z")
The “popularity” of such an anti-football outfit like Spurs among certain Americans may have something to do with the presence of a couple American players that are currently signed by them, including Brad Friedel and recent Seattle Sounders FC standout DeAndre Yedlin. Clint Dempsey played for Spurs. Kasey Keller, another veteran of the national team (as goalkeeper), was signed by Spurs in the early 2000s as well (albeit was loaned to Southampton more than he played on the first team.) Not the whole story, but perhaps part of it. **In other news** , I am pleased to note Arsenal’s outstanding 3-0 victory over Stoke. The return from injury of several of our best players in recent weeks (Giroud, Özil, Ramsey, Walcott, Koscielny, Debuchy, Ospina) surely presages a return to serious competitive form. Alexis has been fantastic, but clearly we need a greater variety of midfield creative and forward attacking options, as the return of those players unquestionably provides, not to mention a less rickety defense. Koscielny, our best defender, scored today and was instrumental in keeping the clean sheet. Well done, Laurent! Alexis, our Gunner Hero in recent months, had a brace and the assist for Koscielny. Now one hopes we’re going to see the real Arsenal, not the injury-plagued struggle that we’ve observed for most of the season (Champions League excepted)! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/144 "2015-01-12T15:20:53Z")
I should mention that Debuchy is back on the injured list with a dislocated shoulder from yesterday … so our defense situation isn’t quite solidified. GAH! ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/145 "2015-01-12T15:59:20Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > The “popularity” of such an anti-football outfit like Spurs among certain Americans may have something to do with the presence of a couple American players that are currently signed by them, including Brad Friedel and recent Seattle Sounders FC standout DeAndre Yedlin. Clint Dempsey played for Spurs. Kasey Keller, another veteran of the national team (as goalkeeper), was signed by Spurs in the early 2000s as well (albeit was loaned to Southampton more than he played on the first team.) Not the whole story, but perhaps part of it.! Anti-football? Spurs? Are you mad? Clearly you know absolutely nothing about football if you seriously believe that. I’ll cut you some slack as you appear to be Gooner-scum, but nothing like that much. Ironically, Arsenal meanwhile have been the personification of anti-football for most of my live, and nineteen years of Wenger have only started to pay us all back for 50 years of 1-nil shite before that. If anti-football can demolish Chelsea like we did the other week then you can sign me up. Spurs have always had the right philosophy - to go out and beat the other lot with style, with glory, rather than wait for everyone to die of boredom, to paraphrase Danny Blacheflower. And as a consequence are always chronically inconsistent. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/146 "2015-01-12T16:18:41Z")
> [@notquitekarpov](#): > > Anti-football? Spurs? Are you mad? Clearly you know absolutely nothing about football if you seriously believe that. I’ll cut you some slack as you appear to be Gooner-scum… Yeah. Charming. Cheers! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/147 "2015-01-12T17:45:41Z")
Nothing personal. You lot know it’s almost a term of endearment by now and you can’t help who you support. But seriously using anti-football in relation to Spurs would get laughed at by 95% of rival fans and a large majority of Gooners too. We can be criticized for many things but playing anti-football is not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/148 "2015-01-12T18:06:57Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Chatting with a friend this morning, we observed that Tottenham Hotspur seems to be the hipster club of choice. Anybody else notice this? Any idea why? You’d think they’d be ironically following Luton Town or something. Really? Chelsea seems to be the team that gets the most support around where I live (Philly) with Arsenal being the slightly hipper club. But out here if you are following European Football at all you are sort of a de facto hipster. I have not actually met another Spurs fan in real life. I became a Spurs fan because Luca Modric was the first player I was able to watch play and say to myself “holy cow, that guy is good.” That happened to be the same year that Bale broke out and went from being Gareth Bale up and comer to GARETH BALE future Madrid signing. I was almost a Liverpool fan but Suarez was too big of an asshole for me to be able to cheer for, and well here I am. I would probably be happier most of the time not cheering for Tottenham, but you can’t help who you love, and I can’t imagine supporting any other team at this point. I think there is a thread on the boards somewhere where I talk about this as it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/149 "2015-01-12T18:30:54Z")
> [@notquitekarpov](#): > > Nothing personal. You lot know it’s almost a term of endearment by now and you can’t help who you support. For sure. > [@](#): > > But seriously using anti-football in relation to Spurs would get laughed at by 95% of rival fans and a large majority of Gooners too. We can be criticized for many things but playing anti-football is not one of them. Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. But I suppose it’s true. Spurs don’t play anti-football. Just mediocre football. The real enemies of football are Chelsea. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/150 "2015-01-12T18:41:31Z")
Let’s not get into a pissing contest - both our sides are inconsistent and less than the sum of their parts. Arsenal just have a dick-head for a manager as the tie breaker. But nothing like as much of a dickhead as Jose Mourinho - who is the true enemy of football - Chelsky are just the latest incarnation of his, let’s be nice and call it, ultra-pragmatic style. All of his sides play the same way. It was the reason he was sacked first time around and, as soon as success eludes him for a season, it will be the reason when he is sacked again. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/151 "2015-01-12T19:24:37Z")
> [@notquitekarpov](#): > > Let’s not get into a pissing contest - both our sides are inconsistent and less than the sum of their parts. Sure, call it off right after I drank all those pots of tea… 😛 > [@](#): > > Arsenal just have a dick-head for a manager as the tie breaker. Them’s fightin’ woids. > [@](#): > > But nothing like as much of a dickhead as Jose Mourinho - who is the true enemy of football - Chelsky are just the latest incarnation of his, let’s be nice and call it, ultra-pragmatic style. Ah, an area of agreement. Excellent! > [@](#): > > All of his sides play the same way. It was the reason he was sacked first time around and, as soon as success eludes him for a season, it will be the reason when he is sacked again. Cheers! (Not meant ironically, now or previously.) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/152 "2015-01-13T02:40:58Z")
Awww, look at that–Gooners and Spurs getting along. Just goes to show–if there’s one thing all football fans who aren’t Chelsea fans can agree on, it’s that Chelsea (and/or Jose Mourinho) sucks. **NAF1138** , I wasn’t talking support in general. In the Cincinnati area, I’d say Arsenal or United are probably the top clubs. (I think there’s like five other Blues in the greater Cincinnati area.) Spurs just seem, anecdotally, to attract a certain sort of fan. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Spurs were the most popular club in Brooklyn, for example. Nothing scientific about this, just a bit of a hunch from my own limited experience. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/153 "2015-01-18T17:54:55Z")
Manchester City 0- **2 ARSENAL**! ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/154 "2015-01-18T19:01:17Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Manchester City 0- **2 ARSENAL**! God DAMMIT City! Do your job and beat Arsenal!:mad: ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/155 "2015-01-18T23:54:13Z")
I think Arsene Wenger caught the entire team smoking in the shower and replaced them with ringers. That is not the Arsenal I have seen to date. That said, City lost it fair and square, other than that rather soft penalty decision. I should check in with Mourinho to see if he thinks that The Conspiracy has turned its eye-in-the-pyramid to MCFC. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/156 "2015-01-19T00:12:47Z")
Our defense has been shaky for much of the season due to so many injuries to key defensive players. Now they’re back from injury—all except Debuchy. The passing and offensive creativity has been there all season in one form or another (although adittedly, once again, injuries have been a problem there as well.) In short, the talent and coaching is there. Just, you know, not always healthy. That penalty was as obvious as it could be. Kompany tried to be subtle, but from where the ref was it was pretty obvious that he deliberately stuck his leg out. It wasn’t a hard foul, but it _doesn’t need to be_ to earn the penalty. Two standouts from the match: Arsenal’s Cazorla and Coquelin. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/157 "2015-01-24T22:19:42Z")
Chelsea just got knocked out of the FA Cup by losing 4-2 at home to Bradford City, a League One side, in a match in which they led 2-0 at one point. What an embarrassment. Man City lost 2-0 to Middlesbrough (Championship) and Man U has to do a replay after a 0-0 draw to Cambridge United (League 2). Crazy weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/158 "2015-01-24T22:19:46Z")
Interesting FA Cup results in the past couple days: Cambridge 0-0 Manchester United Manchester City 0-2 Middlesbrough Tottenham 1-2 Leicester City Liverpool 0-0 Bolton Southampton 2-3 Crystal Palace And, the sweetest of all: Chelsea 2-4 Bradford Basically, almost all of the usual powerhouse English teams or current leaders in the Premier League table _failed to win_ against significantly weaker opposition. I hope I won’t be eating crow tomorrow after Arsenal play Brighton… ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/159 "2015-01-25T19:25:07Z")
To paraphrase (IIRC) Mark Saggers, “What’re you doing, City?! What’re you doing?!” Fingers crossed Ivory Coast is knocked out this week, so YaYa and Bony can come back like the cavalry riding to the rescue. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248/160 "2015-01-25T21:29:15Z")
Such outstanding FA Cup drama this weekend! Single game elimination combined with small clubs bursting for a moment of glory against potentially complacent big clubs means a ripe setup for upsets. But how often have so many of the top-flight top-10 been eliminated or forced to play replays from match results of a single weekend? Results for current top-10 in the Premier League: Arsenal, West Ham — through to the next round. Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton, Tottenham, Swansea — all eliminated. Manchester United, Liverpool — forced to play replay matches after 0-0 draws. Stoke — the orcs of Mordor play Rochdale tomorrow. Their rampant aggression will probably win out in the end. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-15-barclays-premier-league-thread/695248.md?page=9)