This article tries to answer the question ‘What the fans are saying’ for the Gameweek ahead by delving into their forums and unearthing their predictions of how the games will be played.
Fans Predictions
· Norwich fans want their team to have a go at Liverpool. They point out ‘Pool’s dodgy defence’ frequently and so they hope that they don’t sit back and show them too much respect. However, Liverpool like playing teams who have a go. They point out Liverpool’s set piece vulnerability.
· Liverpool fans also point out their poor set piece defending. They want Roberto Firmino to start up front again with Christian Benteke to start on the bench. They think they’ll win but not too heavily.
· Crystal palace fans don’t feel they will get anything out of the Spurs match. Alan Pardew’s teams either go on winning streaks or huge losing streaks, with the latter dominating form currently. They don’t seem to have any hope of victory and most can’t see themselves scoring either.
· Tottenham fans think that it will be the same team that played against Sunderland, but they want to fit in Heung-Min Son into the attack if he’s fit. Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t change his team much. They notice that Crystal Palace sit back and will counterattack but hopefully they can stop this from happening, and Spurs will dominate possession. They think Christian Eriksen is starting to hit form and could be a key player to watch out for in the coming weeks.
· Leicester fans aren’t looking forward to playing Stoke and consider them a tough team. They want more of an offensive approach but believe it will be another back and forth game, where they are set up defensively. Some think they’ll lose and some think they’ll win. It could be a tight game either way. The next three games after Stoke they will definitely set up defensively, but they think Jamie Vardy will start scoring goals soon as he’s now fit. Vardy could prove the match winner here.
· Stoke fans are looking forward to their game as they think they can turn over a Leicester side in the doldrums that is struggling to score.
· Man Utd fans are confident of a win, a low scoring one though, but a win nonetheless. They think Southampton have been poor this season and that Wayne Rooney is back on form.
· Southampton fans are also confident and say Man United aren’t really a good team. They hope their wingers will attack the Man Utd fullbacks, who leave a lot of space in behind.
· Sunderland fans are discussing Dame N’Doye who might get 10 minutes at the end but they think he could be a dynamic, new Odion Ighalo perhaps. It’s a big game for them against Bournemouth that they have hopes of a getting a result from.
· Bournemouth fans think they’ll get a couple of goals and most are going for an away win. A draw is also a good result.
· Watford fans are debating how to change their recent bad form. Others teams have played them once and seemingly know how to nullify them. Teams have discovered that they can either play three at the back or four with a holding midfielder to stop Igahlo and Troy Deeney. Watford wingers will be especially vital if they are to penetrate these more savvy defences.
· Newcastle fans still worry about Watford’s strike partnership and they’ve lost twice to the Hornets already this season. However, Newcastle are in good form and have a chance. They mostly think it will be a draw.
· West Brom fans don’t particularly like Villa fans and in this derby game they think it could be a goal either way. They hope to attack Villa and stay in their half, rather than invite them to pass the ball around their own area. If they attack, they win.
· Aston Villa fans don’t feel like whipping boys anymore, they obviously need three points here and have a chance they think. But most think it is a nailed on 1-0 defeat, conceding a goal from a set piece.
· West Ham fans have a bad feeling about the Man City game, with most predicting a high scoring loss. It takes them until half time to get going and they have no fit decent strikers. Man City will probably camp in their half and they are hitting form attacking wise.
· Man City fans think they’ll win and the return of Fernandinho is a massive boost. But they recognize that they haven’t done well against top half teams, which needs to change. They hope to go on a run of wins.
· Everton fans say they are good against relegation threatened teams and so hope for the win against the Swans. They want to see two recognised wingers in their attack, which gives Ross Barkley more freedom. They expect a high scoring win.
· Swansea fans think they have a chance because their team will come roaring out of the gates trying to impress the new manager, however most can’t see past a win for Everton.
· Arsenal fans are confident they can beat Chelsea, but the latter team always find a way to up their game against them. They think Theo Walcott likes playing against Chelsea and with a few players returning, such as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, should be able to win comfortably. They also want revenge from the earlier encounter this season where they lost 2-0.
· Chelsea fans are worried by Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil’s return to the team. They think they’ll lose and are worried by the form of Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic. Ivanovic gets pulled out of place easily, and so Chelsea will have to sit back.
Conclusion
Most of the games look to be straight forward according to the fans, perhaps with the Man United game being the most unpredictable. The fans think Everton and Man City will score about three goals each; that’s including the opposition fans too.
Who to captain? From the fan’s perspective I’d go for Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. The other big hitters have good chances of points too though. The key differentials could be Alexis Sanchez, Kevin Miralles, Christian Eriksen and Roberto Firmino.
There is increased chatter about the refs in most games, so there could be penalties in some of the matches. Also, Crystal Palace seem to be on for a long period of poor results.
To read more about what the fans think you can use the quick links to the forums from this article.
