OK, congrats to MCI; sorry to see you go LEI, LEE, SOU; and first-time to LUT (first time back in Tier 1 since EPL was branded, was in Tier 5 ten seasons ago), and welcome back SHU and BUR.
So, as ESPN is wont to do, way-too-early predictions:
First up, somehow LIV will remake their team and challenge MCI. OK, so no other team will do this or even try? Why LIV? Oh, right, a bunch of #Mur-can LIV fans read ESPN. Wondering why I am reading the rest.
Does this guy know what heâs doing? As a smart guy, he should admit he doesnât and hire smarter people.
Already Steinbrennering this team, except the Yankees occasionally won World Serieses.
First up: âHey, what about this Ronaldo guy?â âNo!â âFine.â
A month later: That Ronaldo guy is still available." âNEIN!!â âOK, OK, relax!â
Diary: âHad lunch with other owners, cuz we are all in this together, and none of us will ever leave the league.â
Other owners: âNew Chump!â
âGeez my ignoring Milan was supposed to work, according to âMean Girls.â Now they turned down my Prom Question for their player three days before Prom.â
âThomas, the TPS report has a new cover, you heard the International Scouting Director has already resigned because of itâŚâ
âPeople here are loving my American ideas. Pitched a north-south all-star game. Should be plenty of room in the schedule to do this. Need to increase the popularity of this new league. And that LIV coach is right: we DO need to set up a game versus the Harlem Globetrotters.â
I could go on.
OK, Iâll finish up:
âNeed to renovate stadium. I wonder what other towns in England would want Chelsea and would pay for a new stadium and let me keep all the revenues from it?â
FA changes the rules on international players:
Since this is behind a paywall, the gist is that a maximum of four players who did not fit the GBE points criteria will be available to Premier League and Championship clubs, and two for League One and League Two teams. Will make it much easier for EPL clubs to bring in foreign players beyond just the top players.
The shhhedule is out!
And,⌠each team plays the other twice, once at home and once away.
For those with a hard end-of Shed, hey, some other part of your Shed is easier, so be on top by the time you get there.
And while these 38 matches will be played (eventually), note that some teams will play 20 more.
Might be time to think about lowering the number of teams to 18, to lighten the load a bit on Marcus Rashford.
Luton plays Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 16 so my London SIL getting tickets for us for that. I donât care who the opposition is: I just want to go to an EPL match. Luton shouldnât be a hot ticket and Fulham should win.
Aiming for Spurs/Liverpool 9/30
Am debating taking the family to an EPL match.
Been to ManchesterâŚand lets just say I have no desire to return.
In London, I am looking into a Chelsea match and possibly Arsenal (using their hospitality packages).
I would go to Madrid (for an RM game) but we only have July/early August due to school constraints. Its a bummer because RM games (hospitality) are really good for families.
The Falcons play the Jags 10/1 at Wembley so I was eyeing EPL London matches on 9/30. That one is the top one.
Doubt Iâm going as the person I can usually count on to join me on an extravagant Falcons road trip canât go this time. Iâm still tempted. I went when the Falcons played in London in 2014, and managed to fit in West Ham v Man City the day before. It was harder to get hands on tickets than I imagined, but I did swing it. It was a hot ticket at the time.
Kante retires.
Great guy, but yeah, he wonât make that kind of money anywhere else.
Near the bottom of this column about other topics:
Goodbye NâGolo Kante, weâll miss you
Kante is off to Saudi Arabia and Iâm so sad. Not because of Saudi Arabiaâs grand yet questionable transfer plans, I have already written about that. This âOffsideâ is devoted to how the Premier League was so lucky to have Kante. In 2015, he moved to Leicester City for less than $8 million from Caen, and became arguably the best player in the league when Leicester won the title in 2015-16. A season later, he won it again with Chelsea. Eventually, as he earned the Champions League, the FA Cup, and the World Cup with France, his reputation grew. His song (âNâGolo Kante, Pala Lalala, heâs short, heâs nice, he stopped Leo Messiâ) was chanted by everyone (except Argentina who France knocked out).
Kante is universally adored and respected because above all else, he is a good human being. A practicing Muslim, he once met a fan at a mosque and accepted his invitation to go to his house. A decent man who happened to be one of the best midfielders in the modern Premier League era. The league will miss him.
I cannot believe they missed a golden opportunity for an article title:
âJesus weptâ
I guess if enough rich Americans own FA teams, they can rescind Pro/Rel. Pretty sure the Middle-easterners wonât mind it, either.
Complete idiot wants EPL matches in USA, cuz âwhy not? I know nothing about how rabid the fans are, and that nobody get a bye week, and that the schedule is already perfectly balanced, and how there are no playoffs, âŚâ
FA updating some rules (not Laws) for the upcoming season, which will apply to EPL, other FA leagues, and the two tournaments:
After reading the articleâs title, I was wondering where the part was about tackling an unacceptable supporter. I mean, players should absolutely be able to do that IMO.
New rules to tackle unacceptable supporter,âŚ
Oh, shit, we need a wonderful and dedicated poster to set up the contest that I get relegated from every season.
Meanwhile, what about Man City? Do they have what it takes?
Yeah, probably.
They have lost some key contributors and may lose a couple more. If they lose Silva that means they need to get everything from Foden and Grealish. City might go as low as third this year with a crash in desire post CL monkey being removed.
âDoesnât matter. Had sex.â
Webb says referees are going to add time when time is wasted.
Most EFL matches were over 10 minutes added, and one added 22 minutes! (I assume that is adding both halfâs added times.)
And other changes:
So, I wonât be able to skip ahead 30 seconds for each goal kick and corner kick or free kick close to goal?
So, Should Kane stay or should he go now?
I think he still has an eye on that EPL goals record, though Haaland will be breaking that in five years or so. He should let that go.
Liverpool just completed final piece to MF upgrade. What a MF it will be. Might take a month to solidify but it may be the best MF in EPL by October. Reds have shot at league now. Man City will be no higher than 3rd and Haaland wonât lead league in scoring and will miss his RM window with Vinicius and Mbappe closing door on him.
League winner wonât get to 85 this year.
In no particular order, I expect Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City to finish in top four.
Tottenham will not even be in top six. Spurs need the Saudis to buy them to make them competitive again.