EPL 2013/14 - The English Premier League Thread

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Saturday 17th August 2013
Premier League


Liverpool V Stoke 12:45
Arsenal V Aston Villa 15:00
Norwich V Everton 15:00
Sunderland V Fulham 15:00

West Brom V Southampton 15:00
West Ham V Cardiff 15:00
Swansea V Man Utd 17:30

Sunday 18th August 2013

Crystal Palace V Tottenham 13:30
Chelsea V Hull 16:00

Monday 19th August 2013

Man City V Newcastle

* * *

Hi guys! We are back for the new season. :wave:

Good luck to all your teams and welcome to the newly promoted Cardiff, Crystal Palace and Hull.

Hull FC are a team from eastern England and are back in the EPL, are known as "the Tigers".

Crystal Palace return after a long absence and are known as "the Eagles", yet another London club and more derby games. (South London area which is a bit crap. :p)

Cardiff are the second Welsh team in the EPL and I think is their first appearance. Known as "the Bluebirds" are intense rivals to Swansea city FC.

:smile:
 
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And 3 danes have joined the Premier League this season, the three being Jores Okore and Nicklas Helenius for Aston Villa, and Andreas Cornelius for Cardiff City. Three interesting players, though with Okore to be my personal "most likely to succeed" bet :) He did well in the Nordsj?lland defence in the ChL last season, and he has played some good games for the Danish national team. 21 years old, so it'll be interesting to see how he developes :)
 
Looking forward to it! My picks for relegation:

Hull
Stoke
Fulham (!!!)

My top 3
City
Chelsea
United

The final champion's league place will be a shootout between Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal. Liverpool will drop out of the race first, and then Tottenham will pull away from Arsenal. Hurts to say that <_<.
 
I hadn't really thought about outcomes, am still getting my head into "it's back" mode.

Looking forward to it! My picks for relegation:

Hull
Stoke
Fulham (!!!)

Well, chosing one or two teams from the newly promoted is always a good bet.

Pullis has left Stoke, he had "his " system, which gave a good RoI for players/money spent vs. EPL finish position. A bit boring, but effective. New Coach Mark Hughes, used to be at Man C, seems a bit of odd decision for Stoke who aren't big spenders.

What d'you know about Fulham, that I don't? :lol:

Wiki says Al Fayhed has sold up and they have new owners. Martin Johl seems to be doing OK, not the sucess of the recent past maybe, but sort of OK-ish.

My other one for relegation pick, would be Palace on business / cultural grounds. The EPL will be a novel and tough experience for them, they do well, like Swansea did last year or maybe not.


My top 3
City
Chelsea
United

Yeah, looks about right - the order may change and there could be another in there but probably one of those three.

The final champion's league place will be a shootout between Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal. Liverpool will drop out of the race first, and then Tottenham will pull away from Arsenal. Hurts to say that <_<.

I thnk it would do Arsenal some good in a way.
It may make Wenger sort out the defence* and be a serious contender for the UCL or the Board may sack him. Bonus either way. :lol:


* he won't!


* * *

And 3 danes have joined the Premier League this season, the three being Jores Okore and Nicklas Helenius for Aston Villa, and Andreas Cornelius for Cardiff City. Three interesting players, though with Okore to be my personal "most likely to succeed" bet :) He did well in the Nordsj?lland defence in the ChL last season, and he has played some good games for the Danish national team. 21 years old, so it'll be interesting to see how he developes :)

We shall watch out for him then. Where is his normal / best position in defence?

:smile:
 
Hold fire on calling the top 3. Moyes is no fool and United will make signings. Good ones. And Moyes isn't one to let Jose get into his head. Plus City's new manager has no EPL experience.
 
Hold fire on calling the top 3. Moyes is no fool and United will make signings. Good ones. And Moyes isn't one to let Jose get into his head. Plus City's new manager has no EPL experience.

Yeah, I agree what I meant was that those will finish in the top three, probably.

Interesting that all three have a new Coach this season, so maybe it will be the one who has the best settling in period, signs the best players and has the most luck.

.. oh and "Olly" is back in the EPL with Crystal Palace.

He said on Focus today, that during the post-match interviews he is not going to be a comedian this time, but wants to be taken as a serious football manager.

Boo!

:lol:
(I think he'll loosen up a few games into the season, if he's had a good day.)

UPDATE:

And Liverpool score the first goal of the new season against Stoke!
 
As a Chelsea fan, I am really going to enjoy this season especially now that Liverpool REJECT is now gone from coaching. The season I think will be really entertaining and competitive. I'll be happy with a top 3 placement.

And good luck to Crystal Palace, all the best. I am an admirer.
 
Saturday 17th August 2013

Liverpool 1-0 Stoke
Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa
Norwich 2-2 Everton
Sunderland 0-1 Fulham

West Brom 0-1 Southampton
West Ham 2-0 Cardiff
Swansea 1-4 Man Utd

* * *

Easily the worst result of the day, Arsenal losing to the Villa. To be fair, the Villa front line were very lively and too much for the Gunner's defence.

Liverpool should have won by three or more, but got the win in the end. No Suarez, who is still in the "ear biting" Kooler.

The Saints were a bit lucky getting a last minute win against WBA. As were Norwich with their second equalising goal, nice finish from Nicky vWW but a fluked cross. (The Everton kid Ross Barkley looks a bit a talent to be.)

Cardiff were poor and did look a bit out of sorts, but still plenty of time to get used to the EPL. Nice game win for the Hammers, though.

Man U just out-awesomed Swansea, who are not a bad team. The Swans knew what to expect and made a game of it at times, but Man U gave the afterburners a small nudge and got as nice win, without playing "that well".

As a Chelsea fan, I am really going to enjoy this season especially now that Liverpool REJECT is now gone from coaching. The season I think will be really entertaining and competitive. I'll be happy with a top 3 placement.

And good luck to Crystal Palace, all the best. I am an admirer.

Hey Jay,
well there's bad news and good news for you.

Sunday 18th August 2013

Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham

The good news is that Chelsea are 2 up against Hull, nearly at half time.


Edit:
Chelsea 2-0 Hull
 
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Too right.

I watched the Hull game, I think Hull put up a fight and they got a lot of talent, but you can see they were a bit off in their reactions. Money is everything in this league, or any league for that matter.
 
^
Chelsea were very impressive during the first half, the best EPL team performance of the weekend, I reckon. In the post-match interview, Murinho said he was really surprised at the quality and intensity of the plays, best he's ever seen them play. The players are obviously pleased to have him back, even Roman was smiling and it was his 10 year anniversary at Chelsea. Hull did well to keep the score at two down, Steve Bruce might be OK there.

Spurs looked good, but a bit lacking something and not just Gareth Bale. (?100 million, really?)
Palace showed the best performance of the debutants to the EPL, but never looked much like scoring.

:smile:

EDIT:
 
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United will make signings.
Time is starting to run out on that part and I am starting to get slightly worried. It doesn't seem we are getting those we want at the moment. Everton just rejected bids on Fellaini and Baines.
 
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Time is starting to run out on that part and I am starting to get slightly worried. It doesn't seem we are getting those we want at the moment. Everton just rejected bids on Fellaini and Baines.

Yeah but those bids were a complete piss take and Everton don't sell cheap. I think the squad is pretty good as is bar one good midfielder (plus Cleverley coming along nicely) and I also think United need to make sure that they hang on to Rooney, not for the sake of the choice of players but to send a message to other big clubs that they won't be conned, bullied or harassed into selling by either a player or another club. Shrek needs to grow up and be professional.

Plus we all know the biggest deals happen in the last hours of the window. Have faith.
 
New Coach Mark Hughes, used to be at Man C, seems a bit of odd decision for Stoke who aren't big spenders.

What d'you know about Fulham, that I don't? :lol:

Wiki says Al Fayhed has sold up and they have new owners. Martin Johl seems to be doing OK, not the sucess of the recent past maybe, but sort of OK-ish.

My other one for relegation pick, would be Palace on business / cultural grounds.

I think Stoke have actually spent a fair amount of money over the past few seasons, for a few players. I think it was last season or the season before where they spent about 20-25 million in total in one transfer window? I found that a bit shocking heh! Stoke actually played a decent game against Liverpool, they tried to pass it around, hit the woodwork, won a penalty, and defended quite well. I disliked stoke very much under Tony Pulis (much like I did Blackburn under big Sam), because they tend to play Rugby rather than Football, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The Fulham call was a punt, more than anything else, but I think Taraabt is a bit of a cancer in any team. Their new Owner is Jacksonville Jaguar owner Shahid Khan, and he'd actually been interviewed on Talksport a few months back, seemingly sounding like a half decent guy. He made his money in Auto Parts, in the States, and has much to learn. He hasn't had much luck with his American Football team, so could it end up being a Venkys Mk 2? Martin Jol is a good manager but I'm not a fan of the guy.

Crystal Palace would be the safe bet for relegation though, none of the three teams that have come up seem to have done the right business, but I just don't see all three of them going back down... listening to Newcastle on the radio right now, and they are sounding absolutely torrid.

As a Chelsea fan, I am really going to enjoy this season especially now that Liverpool REJECT is now gone from coaching. The season I think will be really entertaining and competitive. I'll be happy with a top 3 placement.

And good luck to Crystal Palace, all the best. I am an admirer.

Eyyy... Liverpool REJECT salvaged last season for you when your fans and players weren't doing jack all for him :p. Good to see Mou, back, though. He's a proper character, and a fantastic manager. Still dislike Chelsea, though, but you guy will do really well this year.

From what I've seen/heard over the weekend, though, I was happy with how Liverpool played. Keeping Suarez will be a big bonus, if we can get Willian or Errikssen we really could push on this year.

Extremely disappointed by Swansea, but United did well in the first game under Moyes. Thanks for that, Arsenal...

Lambert's Villa are looking an entertaining watch. Surviving relegation the way they did last year, is going to prove to be a turning point in their recent fortunes, I think. I would not be surprised, that if Moyes falters at any point this season, or next, that United will have eyes on Paul Lambert.

Norwich looked good as well. Chelsea played great, though they took their foot off the gas in the second half.

Arsenal... poor (and unlucky, to be fair). Newcastle... poor (listening to that right now). West Ham, decent.

Manchester City... scary. Ominous. Entertaining, by the sounds of it.

I didn't watch the Tottenham game, but I expected them to score more, even without Bale.

I'm so glad it's back :)

Is there an FG Fantasy game going this year?
 
Monday 19th August 2013

Man City 4-0 Newcastle

* * *

Anybody watch this or see highlights yet?

The match report sounds like a battering by City, with some of the new signings doing well.
(4-0 puts City above United in the table, do you think they meant that? :lol:)




I think Stoke have actually spent a fair amount of money over the past few seasons, for a few players. I think it was last season or the season before where they spent about 20-25 million in total in one transfer window? I found that a bit shocking heh!

.. and in contrast:

BBC Sport said:
Manchester City have been the biggest spenders in the close season, investing nearly ?87m on four new players

.. and it's not like they have been holding back so much in the last few seasons either. :lol:

Stoke actually played a decent game against Liverpool, they tried to pass it around, hit the woodwork, won a penalty, and defended quite well.

Yes, very much not so much the Pullis style and better to watch as well.
They need to keep the good home defence along with the new formations.

Is there an FG Fantasy game going this year?

Yeah, I think somebody mentioned it recently in the FOOTBALL Thread, but I don't do the FG FL, so didn't pay much heed.

:smile:
 
Heheh, well I wasn't comparing Stoke's spending to oligarch spending, but for a bottom half team spend 20-25 net was quite a big deal before the past year or so!
 
Heheh, well I wasn't comparing Stoke's spending to oligarch spending, but for a bottom half team spend 20-25 net was quite a big deal before the past year or so!

I know, I was just joshin' wi'ya!
?20m plus for Stoke is big, but ?85m plus for Man C is well .... errr, modest, although they are in the same league.

Arsenal need to sign a player or two - I know how about that van Persie chap?

:lol:


Anyways Man U Fans, should you be getting Messi, Fabregas and the like?
Put the oikey upstarts City in their place and soforth? :p
 
Actually, we were/are looking at Fabregas.
 
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