Sports & Fitness EPL thread

Well a week to go guys before we kick off another exciting Premier League season.

The Summer off season has seen the usual number of managers come and go (Wonder if Watford can have 3 managers by Xmas again) and i see David Wagner is the favourite manager at 6/4 to get the boot first.

The 20 Premier League Clubs to date have spent a record GBP 10.3 Billion in transfer fees (don't even get me started about PSG in Lique 1) and we are only in the first week of August so who knows where we will end up come Sept 1.

Man City lead the way with over 204 Million GBP and yet Spurs and Stoke haven't even spent a pound.

Huddersfield who were newly promoted in the summer have spent over 36.6M GBP the 7th highest of all 20 Clubs.

Arsenal have started by winning the first piece of silverware for the year by beating a 10 man Chelsea in the Community Shield but realistically I can see Arsene steering his Gunners to another unsuccessful year.

Certainly going to be interesting to see if Liverpool, Everton & Spurs can push the 2 Manchester Clubs & Chelsea to challenge for the title.

I have already booked my 2 trips back home to take in my usual serve of Bournemouth games both home and away,

Whoever ends up winning or getting relegated I am certain we will all enjoy some cracking games, spectacular goals and shock results.

Looking forward to the yearly banter amongst members.

Richard

 

Tragic Liverpool fan here.

At this pony in time our ore season has been very good.

Salah has added speed & another goal threat going forward.

Robertson is a safe acquisition for left back.

Couthino is hopefully staying & not off to Barca

Seems like we will sign Van Dyke who wilol strengthen our defence.

We have a light squad in comparison to Chelsea, Manchester clubs and spurs so we will need luck with injuries.

If we get that I feel top 4 & a cup trophy is attainable

 

Hi Phil

Agree with you Liverpool have recruited well and will certainly be in the top 6 again.

As a life long Cherries fan i was there when had to beat Grimsby in 2009 to stay in the football league and also last year when we beat Liverpool 4-3 at Dean Court coming from 3-1 down.

Each P/L club fan will have different ambitions for the year but for me a 3rd year survival under the best English Manager in the league is all i ask for.

Looking forward to 38 rounds and 380 matches.

Richard

 

Well it's finally here after what seems like a long summer break. I like the start of the season as all teams in theory have a chance at the title.

I'm tipping Huddersfield, Brighton and Burnley for regulation this year with Man City to win the title.

In terms of transfers Man City have done the best business followed by Everton, Man U and Bournemouth.


As a Liverpool fan it's been a very disappointing transfer window. The £150-200 millon available for transfers hasn't led to many quality signings. After chasing Naby Keita all season Leipzig have refused to sell and Van Dijk who also wants to sign for Liverpool will not be sold by Southampton.

Now Barcelona are closing in on Coutinho which will be a disaster if he leaves in this window with no time to sign a replacement, that's if there is one in the current market.

Salah will be a great addition but a new centre back is a must, I'm not looking forward to the possibility of Ragnar Kalvan starting in the Champions League. The squad outside the top 13-14 players is too thin as it currently stands to maintain a challenge for the title.
There is still a couple of weeks left so hopefully there will be another signing or two.

For Optus customers there is an offer to subscribe for free coverage of the EPL until the end of August before Committing.

 

Defining 2 weeks for Liverpool in the transfer market. Squad looking short on numbers to compete on multiple fronts this season.

 

Back where we belong.

 

Chelsea supporter here prior to the Russian mobs taking over. Really concerned with our squad depth and feel that with the number of games to play, going to be hard to challenge for all titles.

Personally for me, I'll like to see them sign Oxlade-Chamberlain, Belotti and someone else to fill the void left by Matic. Really silly to sell him to a rival, just like when the club sold Cech. Would love to see more reinforcements at the back, but doubt Sandro is going to sign. Really silly to sell him to a rival, just like when the club sold Cech.

The saga with Costa is really annoying and I actually have a signed photo and message from him.

 

Can't believe they let Matic go to Man U.

 

Completely and now Man U is completely complete now and also with the re-signing of Zlatan to the squad, I view them as the team to beat. Would have liked John Terry to have stayed another year and think Zouma would have been better in the squad than getting loaned out.

I am still amazed with how easy the transfer record is getting smashed. I reckon your team is going to lose Coutinho, even though Barcelona signed Dembele. God knows how PSG is staying above board with the FFP!? If they've signed Mbappe and Fabino!

 

As a United fan we thank you for Matic. He's had a great first couple of games. It's as though he's been in the team for years. It's benefited Pogba and can already see it. Looking forward to them playing together.

Happy to be back in the Champions League and a pretty good draw for us. Although at this level all games will be tough.

I hope the 1am wake ups will see more games won this year..

 

Been a tough start for palace this year , but what a turn around today . Taking on Chelsea and beating them 2-1and deservedly so .

Masterstroke by Hodgson with his line up . Palace who have no fit striker but are overflowing with fast wingers , Zaha , Townsend , vananholt and Schlupp . Let’s play all of them !!

Chelsea had no real answer to their speed and pressure on closing down the Chelsea defence . Chelsea are Chelsea and did pressure in the second half , but palace had the better chances near the end and it could have easily been 3-1 .

Sigh .....

Cliff

 

Agree with you Cliff certainly could have been more.

I am starting to get a little nervous this year. 2nd from bottom and playing well each week but not punishing teams.

Threw away a 1-0 lead away at Everton and then the week later having 21 shots on goal at home to Leicester but being held to a 0-0 draw.
A 1-2 defeat at home to Man City thanks to Mike Dean's wowful time keeping (scoring in the 97th minute of a 94 minute game).

I convince myself there are 3 worse teams in the division ( slowly Huddersfield might be proving me right) but you really have to beat the teams around you.
Brighton and Newcastle are good examples of sides who keep picking up the odd point here and there.

Massive 6 pointer this weekend at home to Stoke. Just need Jermaine Defoe to start firing.

Richard

 

It's interesting this season with a bit more of a spread for us Aussie's to watch . Mooy's setting the place on fire ( though ironically he was the player who injured Zaha in their opening round clash and Maty Ryan's seem to be finding his feet . Blinder for Brighton this weekend against everton .....

Cliff

 

Not that you are likely see Brad Smith appear for Bournemouth this year as doesn't look like breaking into the side ahead of Charlie Daniels.

 

Not EPL , but for a while I've been so impressed by the matilda strikers , Lisa De Vanna and Sam Kerr who should have been named the womens FIFA player of the year .

Check out this video of her goals for the year .

Kerr and Matildas sweep Women's sport awards

Cliff

 

Come on Everton! Even the Liverpool fans at the office are feeling sorry for me... here's to the start of the season proper after the last game!

 

Another great afternoon here at the Vitality with a wonderful 2-1 win over the Gunners.

We haven’t had a great first half of the season but certainly had some encouraging performances over the last month or so and great to see Jordan Ibe getting his first goal for the Club.
Starting to get a few players back from injury so hoping this is the first win of many in 2018.
Away at West Ham next week and then off to see my beloved Cherries play Chelsea at the Bridge before heading home.

Cheers

Richard

 

Well i thought a win against Arsenal was going to be the highlight of my visit this year but winning 0-3 at the Bridge against Chelsea surely has to be the biggest upset of the year and undoubtedly Bournemouth's best ever result in their Premier League history.

Great all-round performance from all of the players and actually going to enjoy my 90 minute drive back down the M3 tonight.

Common you Cherries.

Richard

 

Prediction please
Liverpool vs tottenham

 

2-1 Reds. But watch out you Europa hopefulls the Cherries are starring to fire.

Richard