# English Premier League 2011/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 20, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184 "2011-06-20T18:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/21 "2011-08-29T03:40:09Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > It always sucks to lose a player who came up through the youth ranks and was a Villain to his core. Oh, right… 😛 So now I am meant to be rational about this? Where’s that shaking fist smiley? ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/22 "2011-08-29T08:15:16Z")
> [@Albrecht\_Durer](#): > > The horror. The absolute horror. My City kick ass today, and go high atop the table…only to have United humiliate Arsenal and inch past City by a goal. But, it \*is \*City; my guess is they’re in first place for about 65% of the season, and then finish 6th. Since City will be one of Bayern’s competitors in the first stage of the Champion’s League, I watched them [del]play[/del] demolish Tottenham. Impressive. Their 4-2-2-2 - with wingers shifted more centrally like deep playmakers and the full-backs stretching the field aggressively - was an interesting idea. It worked very well against Tottenham’s far too static 4-4-1-1. Do they play that formation often? The role Toure and Barry played, gave Silva and Nasri a lot of space and they knew how to use it – and both had obviously been encouraged by Mancini to roam the field freely (why didn’t Tottenham adapt to it at all in the second half?). I have seen Dzeko play so often during his time in the Bundesliga that I wasn’t surprised by his effectiveness but the improvement of his passing and positional play beyond the penalty box were unexpected. They will be a tough nut to crack. ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/23 "2011-08-29T21:11:33Z")
I want Arsene Wenger and the board gone from Arsenal. They knew Nasri and Cesc were leaving and they did nothing all summer. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/24 "2011-08-30T10:52:01Z")
> [@Xan](#): > > I want Arsene Wenger and the board gone from Arsenal. They knew Nasri and Cesc were leaving and they did nothing all summer. Yeah, that’s a bit strange. Otoh, Arsenal seems to be the only major English club that doesn’t have to worry about the new rules laid out in the [FFP](http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2866/analysis/2011/05/11/2479628/what-is-financial-fair-play-and-how-will-uefa-enforce-it-on) - if the UEFA is serious about those rules, City, ManU, Chelsea and Liverpool might find it much harder to adapt than Arsenal that has worked financially more responsibly for quite some time now. And I have no idea how [Barcelona and some other clubs](http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2885/europe/2011/05/11/2478867/how-will-10-of-europes-biggest-clubs-cope-with-financial) are going to manage FFP - they are black holes for money. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/25 "2011-08-30T11:24:05Z")
I’ve just read that Per Mertesacker is indeed going to transfer to Arsenal from Werder Bremen. He is an intelligent defender with good positional play who has some organizational skill with regard to the back four but he won’t add any kind of creativity to Arsenal’s play and he is not a switch point between defense and offense - which might have been a more pressing matter for the club than a centre-back. But Wenger still has time left to address other problems as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/26 "2011-08-31T10:57:57Z")
What a brilliant move by the Blues dumping boring McLeish on the Vile. They’ve got hoof ball footie to look forward to; 4.5.1, can’t wait to see the “We’re Not Fickle” banners flying again. Anyway they haven’t won anything this millenium and unlike the Blue half of the city are not in Euope either. Their fans are doing a great job in fancy dress, turning up looking like empty seats. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/27 "2011-08-31T11:08:24Z")
Manchester 13 Landan 3 says everything really. Arsenal are simply a feeder to club the likes of the Mancs and Barca… ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/28 "2011-08-31T22:38:13Z")
> [@Bordesley](#): > > What a brilliant move by the Blues dumping boring McLeish on the Vile. They’ve got hoof ball footie to look forward to; 4.5.1, can’t wait to see the “We’re Not Fickle” banners flying again. Anyway they haven’t won anything this millenium and unlike the Blue half of the city are not in Euope either. Their fans are doing a great job in fancy dress, turning up looking like empty seats. 🙂 Yeah, couldn’t agree more. Heartbroken that we don’t have that away game at Doncaster to look forward to as well. Still, I hear there’s a fine pie shop a few streets over where you can cry into the plate as you contemplate another relegation battle. And blue “half” of the city? Some interesting and creative maths there. ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/29 "2011-09-01T12:49:32Z")
Yep, under McJudas the lone striker will need to be contacted by a megaphone by the midfield. 4.5.1 remember. It is the time of year again When football fans get manic And if they come from Witton way It’s when they start to panic But more so now than usual McJudas is the boss So reckon on a torrid time And start to count the loss While over at St Andrews The sky is deepest blue For we off loaded Judas boy And packed him off to you You’ll see his wisdom when you play The striker on his own And every Villa fan in sight Will really start to groan But that is something you know well You always seem to moan We don’t want this We don’t want that So chant the Villa crowd You would rather watch the Blues I know They’d really make you proud Here’s to a lot of banter this season. I wonder how many matches before we hear THE PLAINTIVE CRY OF “Judas Out!”… Can’t wait. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/30 "2011-09-01T14:08:58Z")
> [@wintertime](#): > > I’ve just read that Per Mertesacker is indeed going to transfer to Arsenal from Werder Bremen. He is an intelligent defender with good positional play who has some organizational skill with regard to the back four but he won’t add any kind of creativity to Arsenal’s play and he is not a switch point between defense and offense - which might have been a more pressing matter for the club than a centre-back. But Wenger still has time left to address other problems as well. Well, at least Arsene made some moves. I think it sums up as this: Out: Fabregas, Nasri, Denilson, Traore, Eboue and some filler In: Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Gervinho, Benayoun, Park Certainly not the same quality in as out, but I feel much, much better about a top-4 fight this season and maybe a cup run. The depth is there now, as is the experience. I believe Per, Santos, Arteta, and Park have all been captains at either the club or international level - not bad. Hopefully that experience can help the youth adapt and meld into the team rather then being thrown into disasters like the ManU match. I do have to take exception to the “Arsenal are a feeder club” comment - you do know that Cesc came from Barca first, right? As to feeding Man City - who isn’t these days? They a have enough money to turn any players head. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/31 "2011-09-01T14:14:23Z")
Happy from a Bolton perspective. Ngog and Kakuta should be v useful, and we hung on to Cahill. I just hope he will extend his contract (with a lower buyout clause of course) ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/32 "2011-09-01T15:22:40Z")
The only thing tha’s improved for the Gunners over the past week is the ability of their fans to count to eight. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/33 "2011-09-01T15:26:16Z")
> [@Bordesley](#): > > Here’s to a lot of banter this season. I’ll try to remember to use short words only. ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/34 "2011-09-01T16:19:04Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I’ll try to remember to use short words only. You mean like at a Villa training session. Ball…kick…net…Oops sorry too complicated. Been to Wembley lately? ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/35 "2011-09-01T16:21:02Z")
\*\*At Arsenal \*\* They’re selling postcards of the hanging Removing the Highbury crown Everybody’s gone to the Emirates The plastic fans are in town Here comes the blind commissioner “I didn’t see it anyway I just wanted a team of untried kids I wanted them to play” But some fans are getting angry After fifty years I’m low As the Chairman and I look out tonight On sad Asburton Row An idea was propagated It takes one to know one I cried Of disinterested supporters Ambition is put aside It’s a necessary function Of economics I believe Idealistic stagnation Really makes me seethe I pay to watch the robots At forty quid a throw And now my heart is breaking On Desolation Row ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/36 "2011-09-01T20:07:33Z")
> [@Bordesley](#): > > Been to Wembley lately? Nope. Going to Doncaster soon? Look on the bright side - the way this season is looking, you’ll get to play Yeovil and Scunthorpe next season. That should be good for 2 points at least. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/37 "2011-09-01T20:39:24Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > I do have to take exception to the “Arsenal are a feeder club” comment - you do know that Cesc came from Barca first, right? As to feeding Man City - who isn’t these days? They a have enough money to turn any players head. I think, you have confused me with Bordesley ;). Arsenal’s squad looks pretty good now. The added experience and overall quality of the players should help to stabilize the team; and Wenger doesn’t need to change his system because those new players should have no problem with his beloved 4-3-3. Let’s see how it works on the field, the major problem was a lack of dynamic and tactical discipline so far - some new key players might be all that’s needed to flip the switch. ---
**Author:** ![Bordesley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bordesley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bordesley)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/38 "2011-09-01T20:46:32Z")
Hey up Villa, you never know we could draw you again in the Carling Cup and dump you out like we did last year on the way to Wembley glory. Just hope we don’t meet Arsenal in the final again, cos we would love some real opposition. Two Football facts: 1. Birmingham City unbeaten in Europe for almost 51 Years. 2: Unbeaten in the Carling Cup since 2009. Up the Villa, Girlie Pink and powder blue. Am yam gooin’ down the Baggies? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/39 "2011-09-01T21:46:38Z")
> [@wintertime](#): > > I think, you have confused me with Bordesley ;). Nah, I just didn’t have the heart to quote him as well. Multi-quoting is hard, ya’know? Also, as a yank, I only barely know what he’s trying to say… > [@](#): > > Arsenal’s squad looks pretty good now. The added experience and overall quality of the players should help to stabilize the team; and Wenger doesn’t need to change his system because those new players should have no problem with his beloved 4-3-3. Let’s see how it works on the field, the major problem was a lack of dynamic and tactical discipline so far - some new key players might be all that’s needed to flip the switch. Yup - definitely looking forward to the next run of matches, not something I could really say last week. In fact, Sunday was the first time I’ve said “Arsenal are gonna get killed today” before a match since I’ve been following the team (~2005 or so). Even going into the Nou Camp was less frightening than the team ran out there on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184/40 "2011-09-01T23:00:52Z")
What Arsenal still lacks, is creativity though; looks like they couldn’t get Hazard and Klopp, coach of Dortmund, has already confirmed that the club rejected a 40 Million offer for Mario Götze without a second thought. Any of those two players would have closed the one serious gap that’s still there - and might doom them in the Champions League. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-2011-12/586184.md?page=3)