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2019-20 English Premiere League Thread

jeffbear

jeffbear

Mod Squad
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OK folks, August is upon us ... as is opening weekend for the Premiere League. The season proper gets kicked off on Friday with newly returned Norwich City traveling to Liverpool. From there Saturday features 6 matches and Sunday has the final 3, including the big ticket matchup of opening weekend ... Man United hosting Chelsea.

A quick stroll through the oddsmakers' sites indicates that Man City and Liverpool are the betting favorites, with the usual suspects (Spurs, Arsenal, Man United) clustered below those two at the top. The bookies like Brighton, Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Norwich to populate the relegation zone. Give us a prediction if you want, but those look to be fairly reasonable guesses so far as I can tell. I think injuries will probably tip the race for the top between Liverpool and City. Those two look like well oiled machines compared to the other contenders.
 
Liverpool keeper Alisson is out a few weeks with a calf injury sustained in the 39th minute on Friday. They let Simon Mignolet go to Brugge last week and signed former West Ham keeper Adrian on a free.
 
Do you know any Telegram channels about EPL? It's very hard to follow a lot of websites to search there news about injuries and suspensions in English Premier League. Any suggestions?
 
andyt said:
Liverpool keeper Alisson is out a few weeks with a calf injury sustained in the 39th minute on Friday. They let Simon Mignolet go to Brugge last week and signed former West Ham keeper Adrian on a free.
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Well, Adrian is well rested if nothing else. I think he's only played in Cup matches for the last year and a half or so.
 
Great atmosphere at Bramall Lane for Sheffield United’s first Premier League home match in 12 years. The Blades didn’t disappoint, beating Pqlace 1-0.

What in the fresh hell was Leicester wearing against Chelsea? Their away kit changed from a gradient gray jersey with gray shorts and socks to a light pink jersey with a darker pink highlight across the chest with black shorts and pink socks.
 
Yeah ... that Leicester change jersey is fairly hideous. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths teams will go to in order to avoid a simple white road kit ... even though that's almost always better looking than the alternative.

Wolves and Man United played a really sharp 1-1 draw yesterday to round out the "weekend." Fun game to watch.
 
jeffbear said:
Just dropping by to note that Villa have their opening win of the season ... a 2-0 decision over Everton. Get IN.
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Nice win. My Gunners were once again exposed by Liverpool. They were in it for a while and also had a few good chances that they couldn’t finish. If they had, it might have been different.

Crystal Palace beat Man U for the first time since before the Premier League existed. Man U managed to miss another penalty, Rashford banging it off the post and out of play. And Lampard got his first Chelsea win, as the Blues held on for dear life at Carrow Road. Teemu Pukki is something to see, 5 goals in the Canaries first 5 matches.
 
On Villa ... 3 games in and they haven't been terrible. The new signings have paid off for the most part and the attack actually looks plausible most of the time. The defense however ... ugh. Mings has been heroic and Heaton decent enough in goal, but James Chester being out exposes their complete lack of depth at center back and the fullbacks don't help all that much in the defensive third. They need to figure that stuff out, but it's easier to solidify the D than it is to find offense in the middle of a season once things get rolling. I'm pleased with the start. If they can continue to be a handful at home, then they ought be able to squeak by and survive ... at worst.

Maybe the best news of all though ... they have completely rid themselves of that crook Tony Xia. He failed to make a loan payment that he had personally guaranteed (shocker) so the current ownership stepped up and made the payment in return for the last of his shares and promptly banned him from the offices at Villa Park and Bodymore Heath. Ding, dong the fraud is gone!
 
A bizarre weekend in the Prem. Only Villa and Liverpool won at home. Wolves salvaged a draw on a 97th minute penalty. The other 7 home clubs? All losses, from Spurs (a shutout to Newcastle?) to Man U.
 
This was really nice to see after the first two matches where Villa were really unlucky to get no points from. The only negative is apparently Villa play Sweet Caroline after victories now which is so very disappointing.
 
Hey sports teams. I LOVE Neil Diamond. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Almost any of his songs being played immediately gives me joy. Sweet Caroline is a middling song at best that has been destroyed beyond any sort of salvageable value and needs to be taken out back and shot. Maybe try playing "Forever in Blue Jeans" or "Shiloh" or "Cherry Cherry" for a change, he has a whole catalogue of absolute bangers.
 
I’m partial to “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”

Arsenal plays “Sweet Caroline” too. When I saw Neil Diamond a few years ago, he beat that song to death. Probably 7 reprises of the chorus. “One more time”. STOP!
 
You know, that's a dumb song, but there's something kind of cool about them singing a dumb song that came out during WWI. I'm here for I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles. Now if you want to talk about Man City and Blue Moon...
 
It's only "charming" because Hammers never win anything. If they were ever any good, it would instantly get annoying as hell.
 
If you had Javi Gracia as the first manager to be sacked, collect your winnings. After guiding Watford to their best ever Premier League finish and the FA Cup Final, he was sacked yesterday, along with his entire staff. He was replaced by the man he replaced, Quique Sanchez Flores.

www.espn.com

Watford sack Gracia, re-hire Sanchez Flores

Watford have appointed former boss Quique Sanchez Flores within minutes of announcing the sacking of head coach Javi Gracia.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
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