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Five games have been played in the premier League and there’s lots of talking points. On this week’s show three fans of English football give their thoughts on the premier league start.
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Transcript
Damon: OK guys thanks for coming. I’ve got one question to kick off – Has it been an exciting start to the Premier league season?
Tim: Oh, I think so. Um, because there isn’t a clear front runner at the moment, so um… and there’ve been quite a lot of goals in a lot of games. And quite a lot of attacking football actually, not so many… the teams that have come up from the lower division they’ve been attacking rather than just putting 10 men behind the ball, so I think we’ve had quite a lot of open football so far.
Paul: The transfer window was very exciting as well. Um, the, of course, United finally getting Berbatov, but of course also Manchester City, the amazing uh goings on at Main Road, uh, Eastlands (‘Middle’ Eastlands) and buying Robinho of course. So that’s all very exciting. And it’s been fairly unpredictable, hasn’t it as you say.
Dave: Um, obviously for City it’s been a fantastic beginning to the season. Nobody would have believed it a week before it happened. In terms of the teams, Arsenal look very good. They play some great football I think. Chelsea look very very strong, and I think they’re going to win it this year. United have been very poor, really. Liverpool have been kind of the same as they always are – boring.
Damon: OK. Which team or which player has impressed you so far? Obviously Liverpool haven’t impressed you Dave. Anybody else?
Tim: Well I would just take up Liverpool’s case for one thing, that um… We had a small game against United a couple of weeks ago and completely bossed them, so the midfield completely ran over the United midfield and fully deserved the win I thought. To be honest, they hadn’t actually played that well up until then. And even against Stoke, they should have beaten Stoke at home. And that’s the same kind of thing that happened last year. that those teams they should have, you know, killed off really they ended up drawing against. But in terms of teams that have impressed me, Arsenal, like you said, excellent. Some of the goals they’ve scored have been outstanding. And um, yes Chelsea look strong as well.
Tim: Villa look good as well. They played the other week. They’ve won three games away from home in a week, right. They won away at Stoke, they won away in the UEFA Cup and then they beat…
Dave: West Brom. They beat West Brom
Tim:.. so that was good for them.
Dave: I think in terms of individual players though, Mascherano was very good for Liverpool. I think he’s made that spot his own now because that was kind of crowded last year, wasn’t it. And um, he’s come into his own now. I think he’s played very well. I have to say something um for City in particular, uh, Steven Ireland. He was bit of a kind of a joke until recently has really benefited a lot from the changes there, so I’d certainly put him down. But I think it”s been more of good team performances rather than individuals. I think you could ask whose been a disappointment so far – Berbatov! Useless!
Damon: OK, next question, really just a quick answer,, a yes or no kind of question. Will a team from outside the big four – Liverpool, Man United Chelsea, Arsenal – get into a Champions League spot?
Dave: This year? No.
Tim: No.
Paul: I’d say not.
Damon: OK. And uh who’s going down. You don’t have name all three but uh…
Dave: Well it has to be Newcastle really. It’s too late to turn it round.
Paul: Um, the promoted teams, uh, Hull have started, they’re the obvious ones, Hull have started well, haven’t they. They’ve got some good points. Stoke have been doing OK I think, and then one of them’s in the bottom three… on of the promoted teams.
Damon: I think it is Stoke, isn’t it?
Tim: Is it not West Bromwich?
Paul: West Brom I think might be in the bottom three actually. I think it’s West Brom.
Dave: Yeah, i have to say, I think West Brom are real candidates to go down. They’re actually quite good. In the game against Villa they played very well, but they don’t have the… extra…
Paul: Je ne sais quoi
Dave: If you like. They don’t have the extra ‘that which I don’t know’.
Damon: Tim?
Tim: Uh, yeah, I would say West Brom as well. And uh I actually think Stoke will go down eventually. I mean I think they’ll end up, after Christmas, they’ll find points hard to get. I can’t see whose going to score enough of their goals. And um I would normally, every year I almost always think Wigan look dangerous to go down. But this year with Zaki I think they’re going to be OK. I think they might have a chance to stay.
Tim: So do you think Spurs are going to pull it out and Newcastle are going to be safe?
Tim: Newcastle I’m not sure. Spurs, will end up being mediocre mid-table… again.
Dave: Other than that someone like Bolton, you know, teams which always struggle. But I thought there’s a chance a team like Everton might do badly this yea because they’ve had a very poor start and they seem to have lots of problems at the moment. Not only on he filed but off the field as well with, you know, whose going to be the big ‘power’ buyer and so on. You heard the story that Newcastle, a Nigerian group is going to buy Newcastle that’s amazing.
