Well, I for one am extremely happy after yesterday's storming victory over boring Blackburn, and our (albeit temporary, I suspect) "Top of the Premiership" slot.

What a great start to the season. If we can play like we did in the second half, we will be able to give most teams a run for their money, at least at home.

Here are my predictions:
Top Five:
1. Chelsea
2. Liverpool
3. Mancs
4. Arse
5. Everton

Going Down:
1. Portsmouth
2. Sunderland
3. Fulham

West Ham will be 13th or 14th.

Coming up:
1. Ipswich
2. Norwich
3. Sheffield Utd

And you?

K

Couldn't agrue with your predictions. Except, I'd replace Fulham with Blackburn who I thought looked pretty ordinary.

Top Five:
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Man U
4. Liverpool
5. Spurs

Going Down:
1. B*st*rd Rovers
2. Portsmouth
3. West Brom

Coming up:
1. Wolves
2. Reading
3. Burnley

Top five:
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Man U
4. Liverpool
5. Spurs

Going Down:
1. Sunderland
2. Blackburn
3. West Brom

Coming Up:
1. Ipswich
2. QPR
3. Norwich

Peter

Top five:
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool
4. Man U
5. Spurs

Going Down:
18. Fulham
19. Portsmouth
20. Sunderland

Coming Up:
1. Norwich
2. Palace
3. Leeds (After 6th place finish / Playoff win)

To be a little different...

Top five:
1. United
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool
4. Chelsea
5. Spurs

Going Down:
18. Fulham
19. Wigan
20. Sunderland - with the manager sacked asap

Coming Up:
1. Norwich
2. Wolves
3. Southampton

Chris

1. Man U
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Spurs
5. Liverpool

Down

18. Wigan
19. WBA
20. Sunderland

With Newcastle and their appallingly disjointed, disorganised, mismanaged squad close by in 17th with Alan Shearer installed as player manager from around end of Jan/early Feb

Coming Up
1. Sheff Utd
2. Wolves
3. Luton

Jonathan

1. Liver
2. Mut
3. Arse
4. Tot


18. Chels
19. Ever
20. Pomp

Fantastic performance from the Irons yesterday at St James's Park (we were down to 10 men for much of the second half thanks to Konchesky's outrageously unfair sending-off), the team showing real guts and spirit. Was very happy to take the point (although to be honest we ccould hhave taken three).

Pity about Tottenham though.

K

PS Aren't Boro awful so far this season?

The Konchesky sending off was an absolute joke, one of the worst decisions I've seen as it was never even a foul.

Clive Thomas not allowing perfectly good goals by Bryan Hamilton and Clive Woods in 1975 FA Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge were the worst decisions I have ever seen in football.

I'd rate Thomas's decisions as even worse than those of a referee who blew for time as the ball was crossing the line during the world cup finals (Brazil v Sweden, I think).

Agreed Konchesky should never have gone.

Bloody Chelsea....and Totnumb top of the league.

Things can only go better from now on (please?).

Peter

quote:

The Konchesky sending off was an absolute joke, one of the worst decisions I've seen as it was never even a foul.

Nah, that was prat Durso's decision to give a penalty when Juninho fell over after Jaap Stam very cleanly removed the ball from where Juninho was about to kick towards goal..... I was square on to the challenge in the North Stand and I was angrier than Roy Keane that a penalty was given.

I digress....

Before I saw it I was convinced that Konchesky's "challenge" was not a "sending off" offence due to the comments on the radio that I had listened to on the way back from Old Trafford.

When I saw the challenge on TV for the first time I thought it was a foul and as he was the last the man it was a red card offence.

Konchesky clearly jumped into the tackle - look at it again - he played through the ball and put his body across Jenas to take him out.

The touch on the ball was first but if he had not taken out Jenas then Jenas could have ridden the challenge to go on and score. Having been taken out, he could not!

Some people seem to think that if a defender goes into a tackle and makes peripheral contact with the ball but then stabs the opposition forward with a six inch knife it is a legitimate challenge - that is of course nonsense!

Whether or not the tackling player gets the ball first if he then connects with the player it is a foul.

There is a slight difference when the defender cleanly takes the ball and the attacker then connects with the defender but that did not happen on Saturday.

Chris

PS I'd have preferred West Ham to win as I can't stand Souness

I think 7V may well be a Claret in exile

Top
1. Chelski
2. Man U
3. Arsenal
4. Liverpool
5. Spurs

Down
18. Wigan / Newcastle if Souness stays !
19. Blackburn
20. Sunderland

Coming Up
1. Shef Utd
2. Reading
3. Ipswich

FA CUP
Spurs vs Man U

My lot Pensioners again a bit lucky to get 1st goal against Throstles. Poor Drogba again missed a few, and although I feel that Owen should be back at Liverpool with Gerrard, I would have liked him playing with other England internationals at Stamford Bridge.

Good to see a few iffy sending-off decisions reversed (bit late to change games played ...). Blackburn have scored a nice couple of goals/almost scored another 10 last night.

As we all know now, Mut now have a goalkeeeper.

quote:

Some people seem to think that if a defender goes into a tackle and makes peripheral contact with the ball but then stabs the opposition forward with a six inch knife it is a legitimate challenge - that is of course nonsense!

Whether or not the tackling player gets the ball first if he then connects with the player it is a foul.

This is utter bollocks!!!!