You’ll miss all the speculation about who Mark Hughes has got on his shopping list or even if he will still have the job come August.
Now that we know the final teams for the premier league I think I can forecast the 4 teams that will be in the relegation spots in a year’s time.
Four teams?
Sorry, that sounds a bit nit-picking. I had a genuine moment of alarm that I might have missed the news that four teams would be relegated from the premier league next season. A quick Google doesn’t seem to answer the question. But I think it’s likely that Vetch meant four teams that would be in the fight to avoid relegation next year.
So go on then, don’t keep us waiting
Yes, that’s what I meant. It was nice and clear in my mind anyway!
And the 4 teams are, Hull, Burnley, Birmingham, Wolves. Surely no surprises there?
I suppose Brum and Wolves are the most likely to get away with it and you usually get one team that freefalls from somewhere in the middle of the table but if I were a betting man I’d pick those four.
I’d bet Pompey will be right in the mix next season too. Overspending and waning owner interest are going to take their toll at Fratton Park. I seem to recall they’ll lose a couple of major players this summer to free agency as well, although I could be making that up.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Sunderland had a hard time of it.
They escaped going down this season by the skin of their teeth, maybe next season they won’t be as lucky.
That said it’s really hard to make any kind of forecasts before the season begins. Can I suggest that after 3 maybe 4 games we have a go
We could always try to keep the '08 predictions thread going right through to 2010. That’d throw people off the scent.
Nah, if we do that, chowder’ll insist it stay open until City win the League, which means it’ll be a perpetual, never-ending thread. 
Now you’re being silly;)
Just as soon as season 2009/10 begins then someone, no names, no pack drill, will start a thread for that season
Ok, here’s a question to be mooted:
Mr. Ashley, who of course is the villain at St. James’ Park, has admitted to mistakes, but has asserted that he really wants Alan Shearer to stay on because, basically, he thinks Shearer is “really, really good at what he does.”
Question: what evidence at all is there that Alan Shearer is a good manager? Damned little from what I’ve seen to this point.
I agree about Shearer and frankly I thought when he retired he would take the route most of the best managers have taken. Starting from a lower league team and learning the job from there.
If you look at those managers who have arguably been most successful in the British game only Bob Paisley, Bill Nicholson and Matt Busby started at the top the rest including Ferguson,Shankly, Clough,Ramsey, Stein and Roberto Martinez 
etc. all came up through the ranks so to speak.
Although Paisley only managed Liverpool he was part of the background staff for years learning the ropes before taking over.
A good footballer rarely seems to make a good manager either but I’m sure someone will argue that point.
I’m waiting to see how Ole Gunnar Solskjaar does. He’s got the experience of working under a pretty good player/coach.
Brian Clough and Bill Shankly were superb footballers - although I don’t disagree with your general point. I have no idea if Shearer will be any good, or even if he is prepared to hang in there and get good. Gut feeling says he might turn out to be a success - He’s got the part about starting in a lower league right, so that’s something.
Ole always struck me as the archetypal shithouse player- happy to sit on Utd’s bench rather than go elsewhere and be a starting #9. I’m sure his medal collection / bank balance backs this decision up, but it’s hardly a trait of a successful manager.
Complete bollocks, IMNSHO. OGS was the kind of professional any team worth its salt would want on their squad. Someone who loved the club they played for so much, they’d endure anything to stay there. That may take a player without an immense ego, but it doesn’t make him less suitable for management.
Yeah, that seems highly unfair on Solskjaer. TBH I have more respect for the type of player who’s willing to fight for a place than one who’ll go elsewhere to be a big fish in a small pond. Remember too that just as he really established himself as a first choice, he suffered the first of what would turn out to be career-ending serial knee injuries.
It’s what he gets for using the knee to serve up the cornflakes. <rimshot>
He did get mired down with injuries, true. Fighting for his place, though, is not something OGS was ever concerned with. He was a very good player who was content to let Sralex play him as second choice whenever he felt like (OGS used to get called The Judge at Old Trafford he was on the bench that often). He had the ability to easily play for another top club, but not the motivation. He’s hardly alone here, but I’d be very surprised if this sort of submissive personality made it in football management.
Congratulations to Barça, who managed to prove they are, indeed, the tops in Europe this year!! A definite display of their superior ability.
spoiler in case people are seeing the game later on:
That was a desperately poor performance by Utd, just didn’t get into the game at all. I guess Barcelona didn’t give them the opportunity, but they’ll be sick that their better players didn’t shine. I actually fancied them to win with something to spare after seeing Barca v Chelsea - what went wrong?