Premier League 10-11

[Aker]

PL announce academy reform - Academy system set for overhaul

Premier League chiefs have revealed a radical plan to reform youth football as they target a dramatic improvement in the quality of the England team.

Under the plan, top-flight academies will be told to provide 15 to 20 hours of coaching for their nine to 16-year-olds instead of the current five hours.

The huge increase in hours would bring young players more in line with those in countries such as Holland, and academies will have to work with schools and open during summer holidays to accommodate the rise.

It follows a review by Ged Roddy, the Premier League's director of youth development who has spent months comparing youth systems in Spain, Holland and Germany and in other sports such as swimming and cycling.


Read more: Link

Fantastic news

[Barca_Catalan_Sky]

This is good news for English football and in the long run the England national team. However I wish Premier League teams were made to play more home growm players in the team:
http://www.premierleague.com/page/He...094331,00.html

[antonnn]

To be honest 8 isn't really enough when you think about it, but I guess with the amount of foreign imports in the EPL it's not possible to make it a bigger number for now, so 8 is fair for the moment.

[Cule Angles]

The football league kicks off on Saturday COME ON YOU COBBLERS!

[BBDD]

Not to the extent of Liverpool and United though.

Take away Lampard and Drogba and you have enough to be in the top 4 easily.
Take away Fabregas and Van Persie and Arsenal also have enough.
United without Rooney and Vidic would not be in the top 4. Not even close.
Liverpool can't get top 4 when only one of their top players is injured for nearly half a season.

We'd be close to top 4, don't be silly. Tottenham and City were like 15-20 points off us last season. Arsenal 10 points.

What happened at Blackburn when United pretty much lost the title? United had everyone except Rooney and they struggled big time against an average side and it was a very poor performance too iirc. This also happend throughout the season when Rooney missed games, not every time though obv.

Chelsea lose Drogba and they have Anelka to step in, who have United got? Berbatov? ha, he only played well against Bolton on his own, the rest of the time he was average. I don't deny that Chelsea have the ability to win with injuries because they have the squad to do so, United don't imo.

Every season we hear how United's youngster's will be amazing. We heard it about Tosic, Manucho, Diouf, Obertan etc etc. They have hardly made their mark yet and some have already left.

Our bad run of form started against Munich away when we got battered and Rooney played the full 90.

We had a more points per game without Rooney than with Rooney last season. It doesn't say much but that run of 2 or 3 games wasn't really reflective of how we'd do without Rooney over a long period.

Berbatov scored more league goals than Anelka last season. Anelka scored like 1 goal after January last season? If that was Berbatov he'd be ridiculed beyond belief.

They have no midfield to win it, apart from Fletcher imo. Whilst Scholes and Giggs are/were top class they are not going to get better and won't be as effective anymore. Carrick is average, Hargreaves is top, top class but crocked, Fletcher really is the key guy for them in midfield. They really need a proper DM AND AM.

They also need another striker too. Plus another full back wouldn't go amiss for them.

I think they will be up there for sure and will challenge for the title, but to me, that will be down to teams showing them far too much respect and getting beat. Chelsea are clearly better than them, but it is only Ancelotti's track record with title defending teams that I don't put them above manure in the league. But with Ramires and a fit Essien their midfield is so superior's to manures. But its the Ancelotti factor why I don't back them.

Also their days of heavy spending - on one player, seems to be over so whilst they will always be challenging for the title because they have VDS, Rio, Evra, Fletcher, Rooney plus Scholes and Giggs who are class when they play, but they can't do it forever. Plus they have the likes of Hernandez and some others so they will challenge no doubt. I just think their midfield needs an overhaul and that will cost them the league.

It's the same (central) midfield that's won us league and CL titles... If we brought in 1 more good midfielder I think that would be enough going into the new season. We probably wont though which is a worry.

We have Macheda fit this season and Hernandez has been brought in. The back up for Rooney is better this season than last, where we finished 1 point off Chelsea and were unlucky to get knocked out of the CL.

I don't think we need a full back. Evra is brilliant and we have solid options with Brown and O'Shea, with young talents like Fabio and Rafael.

If teams are going to pay us too much respect, they'll surely do the same with Chelsea and since they're so much better they'll walk the league? Honestly, after years of being in our shadow, they finish one point ahead of us and we're suddenly not on their level?

[AnfieldEd]

Chelsea should have finished 10 points ahead of you really. They were the better team no doubts.

And no it isn't the same midfield that won the CL. Hargreaves is not the force he was, Carrick has gone worse and scholes and giggs are 2 years older, so no I think there will be a declination in that area and you are a fool if you don't see it.

Teams don't do it to chelsea, the northern teams don't show too much respect to them and the south want to beat them, especially the london clubs:-arsenal, spurs, west ham, fulham etc.

[BBDD]

Chelsea should have finished 10 points ahead of you really. They were the better team no doubts.

And no it isn't the same midfield that won the CL. Hargreaves is not the force he was, Carrick has gone worse and scholes and giggs are 2 years older, so no I think there will be a declination in that area and you are a fool if you don't see it.

Teams don't do it to chelsea, the northern teams don't show too much respect to them and the south want to beat them, especially the london clubs:-arsenal, spurs, west ham, fulham etc.

Why should they have finished 10 points in front of us? We were 1 point ahead with like 6 games to go, we just handed them the league with our dismal display at OT against them. If they did they'd have had a record 96 points in the league, which they're clearly not good enough to achieve. They were slightly the better team, which was reflective in the fact they finished slightly ahead of us.

I said the same midfield that's won us leagues as well. Still they're the same players which is what I meant. Carrick's had one bad season, and was better in 08/09 than 07/08 anyway. Scholes and Giggs aren't performing much worse than they were in 07/08 to be honest, Fletcher is a much much better player nowadays. Losing Hargreaves is a blow admittedly, and I did say we could do with another midfielder, but we could win the league next season given only City have improved so far..

Do the north not want to beat us? Liverpool, City, Bolton, Newcastle etc. You're deluded if you think teams sit back and let United beat them then give 110% against Chelsea.. I could claim since everyone in the country hates United, they always try hardest against us. Just nonsense.

[dalitis8]

Now I don't ascribe much importance at friendlies...but they have been a disaster for Prem clubs up until today...

[antonnn]

No Kakuta on the bench?! GTFO!

[10Rivaldo]

LMFAO did anyone see Chicharito's goal?

[antonnn]

I knew he'd score!

[Beast]

pace vs slow defender..

easy

[antonnn]

Good shot from Sturridge leading to the goal.

[10Rivaldo]

If they tie is there ET? Or do they go straight to penalty shootout?

[antonnn]

Penalties.

3-1, easy done.