[Rooneys_Temper]

Isnt funny how this season,the importance of certain games has jumped up ten fold.I know we have had our bogey teams in years gone by but this season seems ridiculous.We have had probably the biggest domestic result so far this season,yet with a Wigan side just around the corner I find myself getting nervous almost to the same degree as Chelski.I think it has part to do with the fact that this is one of the games in hand which have been desperatley trying to claw back,or the fact that Wigan are on a decent run now.Anyhow,i know 3-4 years ago Wigan at home wouldnt have had a second blink,but now it once again becomes a massive,massive game.

 

[Boomhauer50]

yea i know what you mean 2 or 3 seasons ago as you said it would be a noting game,what is it in there run now 6 wins in 7 thats very good and that Zaki is an animal of a man good striker. This season every game seems to be bigger and bigger it is making everything a lot more exciting well maybe not if you have a dodgy heart but otherwise its brilliant.

 

[IanDangerously]

I'm not nervous about tonight, but I am excited. Hopefully it'll be a great game, with a great atmosphere to match brought about by this renewed importance. We have a very strong team to put out there, and I really don't see any other result than a win. Rooney and Berbatov are working well together imo, that'll be enough to see off the Wiganers.

Prediction: 3-1 United.

 

[akash_reds]

actually i am a little nervous.....they seem to have decent teama nd they are stringing wins together..always a problem.....
but i would still expect us to win.....not comfortably though....a hard fought 2-0 IMO...but i would love to see a very good perfomance in which we dominate the game!!!

 

[RedForceRising]

I'm as nervous as you and it's because the league this season REALLY has become more competitive!

In previous seasons, it was just hype from that the league is getting harder, but this season you have Hull and Stoke getting decent results against established clubs and there are only 5 points difference between 11th and 20th place.

Last season at this time, there was a 19 point gap between last placed derby and 11th placed Newcastle!! (btw newcastle are currently 11th again this season) and an 11 point difference between the second last Fulham and 11th place.

At this time last season Arsenal and UNited had 51 points. This season Liverpool has 46. The big teams are dropping more points than last year.

that's why we're nervous

 

[VaVa]

This is the premiership guys, any team can beat any other team if your not on your game, its happened for years, we've been beat by Palace and Wednesday and the likes. It always happened and always will.

And i think it's got a little easier, if you look at the points tally of just say 10 years ago, it's much less that now, 81 or 82 points would win you the league, nowadays you need 87 to maybe 90 to win the league, so that means we're winning more games.

I think it's just that Wigan have come from nowhere that it's worrying, but they are a force, 2 or 3 years ago they were not.

 

[Rooneys_Temper]

I didnt wanna lock the topic to just the Wigan game,is was the season in general.I think we SHOULD win tonight and luckily Wigan play a more attacking game than Stoke so we should have a decent game on our hands.

 

[Jesus Hitler]

I didnt wanna lock the topic to just the Wigan game,is was the season in general.I think we SHOULD win tonight and luckily Wigan play a more attacking game than Stoke so we should have a decent game on our hands.

well said on that stoke front that team set out to ruin football im sure

and as for the importance of beating the 'lesser' teams i think your right this season there is less of a gulf between us and say a team like villa,

i think alot has emarged with villa breaking into the top 4 and playing with the big boys and also the fact hull and others have just walked over the arse or pool.

it makes it a far greater spectacle to watch but also on other fronts makes it more nerve racking for us

and to some extent it will make any victory mean more cause its been hard fought after all we have no right to beat any team in front of us we have to fight for the right

 

[IanDangerously]

At this time last season Arsenal and UNited had 51 points. This season Liverpool has 46. The big teams are dropping more points than last year.

Well, United and Arsenal have taken less points in the Grandslam games this year, hence the league is more even this year.

Last year, in the first half of the season:
Liverpool 0 - 1 United; Arsenal 2- 2 United; United 2-0 Chelsea .... 7 points.

In the first half of this season:

Liverpool 2-1 United; Chelsea 1-1 United; Arsenal 2-1 United ... 1 point.

 

[moondog]

Well, United and Arsenal have taken less points in the Grandslam games this year, hence the league is more even this year.

Last year, in the first half of the season:
Liverpool 0 - 1 United; Arsenal 2- 2 United; United 2-0 Chelsea .... 7 points.

In the first half of this season:

Liverpool 2-1 United; Chelsea 1-1 United; Arsenal 2-1 United ... 1 point.

Actually, l'arse have more points off their first three grand slam games this season (7) than last (5). They just have been brutal against some of the 'lesser' lights.

RT, I couldn't agree more that every game now seems like a tough one and, since we are in 'catch-up' mode, becomes that much bigger in importance. There are two factors really:

1 - The number of teams involved in this years relegation struggles.

Almost every team we play now (save the top six) is just a couple of bad results from being in the bottom three. This creates a huge incentive for them to get points from every game they play.

2 - Our somewhat inconsistent form.

We have been playing better in recent games, but only the ciddeh and chelski wins showed the kind of performances that we treated to regularly last year. Frankly, it all comes down to our attack. If we were scoring at the rate we did in 07-08, games like Wigan at home would be much more of a foregone conclusion.

Yep, I have to admit it, I am pretty nervous before every game now!

 

[RedForceRising]

Well, United and Arsenal have taken less points in the Grandslam games this year, hence the league is more even this year.

Last year, in the first half of the season:
Liverpool 0 - 1 United; Arsenal 2- 2 United; United 2-0 Chelsea .... 7 points.

In the first half of this season:

Liverpool 2-1 United; Chelsea 1-1 United; Arsenal 2-1 United ... 1 point.

At the same point Liverpool have taken 6 points off Man Utd and chelsea but then proceeded to drop points to Tottenham, Stoke (twice) etc, etc.

So there a wider distribution of points amongstthe clubs this season.

Also derby only had a paltry 5 points a this point and the bottom club right now has 18 points.

 

[Fiat Cunto]

tbh its just season has been so open look at the table its not jus at the top its at the bottom aswell with hul;ll who are in 8th still involved in a relegation dogfight? when was tyhe last time that happend? you also have the emergence of aston villa who are in 4th ahead of arseneal and are playing really attractive football and winning football aswell as most of the squad been all english or home based its great!


as for the match tomorrow i think it will be a good game as wigan tend to attack abit more than say stoke or middelsborough witch imio is only good for us as we wont have to try as hard to break them down like the stoke game score an early goal and we will win this comfortablly imo

 

[Richie]

When seasons get decided on 1 or 2 points every game is vital, and every game is difficult. Even lower down the league a couple of points can be the difference between relegation battle and European football, and that's what makes the league so brilliant this year.

I makes being a football fan stressful but gloriously exciting.