# UK football, season 2008/09, forecasts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 7, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150 "2008-08-07T12:09:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 35
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/681 "2009-02-09T20:49:32Z")
> [@rayh](#): > > Maybe Grant until the end of the season, then Rijkard or Zola depending on availability. Isn’t Rijkard available right now? Or did he find a new one after Barcelona? _goes off hunting_ ETA: Yup, he seems to be unemployed right now. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/682 "2009-02-10T12:51:02Z")
> [@](#): > > ETA: Yup, he seems to be unemployed right now. He’s on “sabbatical” and has suggested it would take some serious dollars to get him to take up a post before the end of the season. Not that Chelsea couldn’t afford it obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Paulj1989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Paulj1989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paulj1989)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/683 "2009-02-10T16:53:21Z")
> [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > “Look, they may not have the breadth of experience or the results behind them of your _Mancinis_ [this said as a trade unionist might pronounce “banker”], but I think what real Chelsea fans want is one of the Dennis Wises of this world.” I’d love it if Wise took over! Mostly because I’m not a Chelsea fan… The news is that Hiddink is taking over [until the end of the season.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7879782.stm) However, [Ancelotti is the target for a long term deal.](http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4910726,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/684 "2009-02-11T10:13:28Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > FWIW plans are afoot to buy The City of Manchester Stadium and also to extend the capacity. > > Also: Next season our season ticket prices are to be reduced by 20%. > > I, for one, welcome etc. etc. etc… Sorry, I got it wrong. Season ticket prices for next season are to be reduced by 7% and supporters will be given an extra 3 months to pay because of the credit crunch. I still welcome… ---
**Author:** ![Paulj1989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Paulj1989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paulj1989)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/685 "2009-02-12T03:50:20Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Sorry, I got it wrong. > > Season ticket prices for next season are to be reduced by 7% and supporters will be given an extra 3 months to pay because of the credit crunch. > > I still welcome… Why is it Saints tickets won’t go down but the club themselves will? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/686 "2009-02-12T08:13:52Z")
> [@Paulj1989](#): > > Why is it Saints tickets won’t go down but the club themselves will? Because you don’t have new Arab overlords is why 😛 ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/687 "2009-02-12T20:50:53Z")
> [@Paulj1989](#): > > Why is it Saints tickets won’t go down but the club themselves will? If you do go down can we have Nathan Dyer? What’s he like over the longer term? In the few games he’s played on loan for us he is exactly what our manager has been trying to get all season. He’s quick, skillful and cause havoc amongst defenders. Can he keep it up long term? I know about his private life so you don’t have to go there! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/688 "2009-02-14T19:57:21Z")
Pompey rack up another win, while City manage to prove that money can’t buy everything (or is it that money can’t buy anything??). ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/689 "2009-02-14T20:43:11Z")
And Dean Windass finds a third way to help us score points - so far he’s managed a hat-trick of assists in one game, a clean sheet as an emergency goalkeeper in another (away at league leaders Leicester), and today he notches the winning goal against Northampton. (And for those who haven’t seen it [here’s Oldham’s rather, uh, _special_ new kit](http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~1553387,00.html).) ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/690 "2009-02-14T21:06:12Z")
I think I just went blind. That’s…_really_ pink. Good cause, good reason but…whoa. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/691 "2009-02-15T02:25:18Z")
Wow. That’s quite pink. They will be in the pink of health, that is for certain!!! ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/692 "2009-02-15T08:17:34Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Pompey rack up another win, while City manage to prove that money can’t buy everything (or is it that money can’t buy anything??). Just letting the lower plebs win a game is all, I mean we did thrash them 6-0 at Eastlands. Incidentally, whaddya mean _another_ win ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/693 "2009-02-15T12:53:51Z")
Well, they had 6 wins, now they have 7. 😃 Which, btw, is only two fewer than a certain blue-shirted team. 😉 Anyone know when the make-up fixture for Rovers and Fulham is scheduled? It would be nice to get caught up, so that everyone knows exactly where they stand in the table. As in really in tenth, if you are a certain free-spending team. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/694 "2009-02-15T14:11:25Z")
Oldham also made the press this week (well, the Daily Mail) for a plan to sign and play top Brazilian international Marta. Not so much ambitious as shameless; Marta is possibly the top female player in the world, and our co-owner wanted her to play in disguise. It might have been laudable if it was for some noble moral point, but it’s safe to say it would’ve been a pure publicity exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/695 "2009-02-15T20:00:45Z")
Watched the Blues take care of the Deans today, good game and great result. Villa were average tbh - we didn’t play them off the park or anything but it was comfortable. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a worse collection of banjo merchants play Everton; Young, Carew and Abonglahor were raining shots down onto the corner flags all game. Absolutely lovely draw for us next round - West Ham or Middlesborough at home. One of our teenagers looks like he might have serious potential - Jack Rodwell scored the first today at 17 years of age. I saw him play at the start of the season and the game was passing him by, as you might expect. He’s played here and there since and is really starting to show a lot of poise and intelligence in his game. Looked quality today. Villa had a worse bench than us, which is unusual. It could be a long 3 months for them, but I think they will hold on and finish 3 or 4th. Garry Terry Barry missed today’s game, and left a big gap. With 51 points under the belt there’s huge impetus just to hold on and make it over the line. When we finished fourth a few years back we were shite in the last third of the season, but just ground it out. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/696 "2009-02-16T21:48:31Z")
Fuck me - we almost looked like a football team again tonight! Good to see Eduardo back and he deserved his two goals (and was unlucky not to get the hattrick). I don’t care that Bendtner scored though, he’s still a fucking idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/697 "2009-02-16T21:54:46Z")
Eduardo looked really good, pretty amazing that he seems totally recovered from such a horrific injury. Wonders of modern medicine, eh. Seemed to inspire the team overall too. I share the hate for Bendtner, but I must grudgingly admit he was pretty good tonight. One pretty bad miss, though he was off-balance, but otherwise quite good. With other injured folks coming back too + Arshavin + Villa and Arsenal having rather opposite fixture lists, things are looking up. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/698 "2009-02-16T22:15:57Z")
> [@Discordia](#): > > I share the hate for Bendtner, but I must grudgingly admit he was pretty good tonight. One pretty bad miss, though he was off-balance, but otherwise quite good. You don’t get to have an ego the size of the one he’s got unless you’re a 30 goal a season striker and he is **never** gonna be that. He’s like Adebeyor - all mouth and skills until the big games when he’ll generally disappear without a trace. The difference is that on the odd occasion Adebeyor shows up he’ll score a goal, when Bendtner shows up, its only to leak the team sheet and tactics to the opposition. If he didn’t have such a high opinion of himself we’d have been able to part-exchange him with West Ham for Upson in the window, but Bendtner turned down the contract. Plus he wears pink boots. Tit. We should just fuck him out on load to Oldham. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/699 "2009-02-16T22:50:39Z")
Well that was odd. I had a voicemail this morning from the Latics co-owner I mentioned pointing out the Brazilian signing wasn’t his plan, but a TV company’s idea he wasn’t keen on. First time a club chairman’s phoned me before! ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/700 "2009-02-16T23:04:44Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > Well that was odd. I had a voicemail this morning from the Latics co-owner I mentioned pointing out the Brazilian signing wasn’t his plan, but a TV company’s idea he wasn’t keen on. First time a club chairman’s phoned me before! Do you know if he rang the other half of the offical fanclub as well? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150.md?page=34) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150.md?page=36)