Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Crybaby Bunting]

The thing is, the Ivanovic challenge would normally be counted as 'violent conduct' so I don't see how they could suspend anyone unless they flat out punched/headbutted them.

[Colly]

Someone could get Joey B on loan and he could take a few down with him.

[Pesci]

I thought that would be the way it worked anyway. My friends fell down on the side of a suspension but as you can make six subs and there's no extra time, it's not really a "competitive" fixture or whatever the exact terminology is. Honestly it works the same way as a friendly. You could hack down somebody in the last few minutes of those matches too and not miss competitive games.

[Colly]

You could, but then you'd be unlikely to schedule a friendly against a rival club a week before the season starts, whereas I'd imagine you're obliged to play the community shield.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

It's tricky when you don't just apply a blanket rule of suspensions count or suspension don't count.

There's always going to be problems when someone commits a foul like Ivanovic's and dodges a suspension or conversely if someone picked up a soft red card and did get suspended.

[Colly]

Yeah, but you can always appeal a soft red card, exactly the same as in the league.

[Adam]

Ben Smith has an article up on BBC discussing Brendan Rodgers beginning his career at Liverpool. Here's how he described Joe Allen:

His arrival at Anfield was inevitable, he will be a vital cog in the midfield machine.

I hope he does better than that Irish bloke who was condemned as a cog way back when...

[Pesci]

Joe Allen, just another cog in the Liverpool machine!

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

Haven't heard any rumours of midfield departures for Liverpool, they're pretty well stocked in that department

[stokeriño]

Toon fans:

I'm finalising a fantasy football team in a competition which counts only goals (and clean sheets) for points, not assists/discipline/etc.

Ben Arfa and Cabaye cost exactly the same. Which do I pick?

(The alternative being I snub Newcastle entirely and plug for Seb Larsson )

[therockbox]

Haven't heard any rumours of midfield departures for Liverpool, they're pretty well stocked in that department

We're not really. Lucas, Allen and Gerrard are fine. Henderson is alright. We're still looking at Adam and Spearing getting a significant amount of playing time though, which is very worrying.

edit: Cabaye, surely? Similar assist/goals stats to Ben Arfa last season but without the injury problems.

[MJB]

A really interesting read.

[Colly]

No brainer, Ben Arfa. He's in my Sun team which uses the same rules. Classed as a midfielder too whereas he generally plays in the old Chelsea Duff/Robben advanced role.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

Ben Arfa isn't picked as consistently as Cabaye though is he? Or at least he didn't seem to be last season when I had him.

[stokeriño]

To be honest I might as well flip a coin. I've already picked Torres over Balotelli so I'm well on my way with "well you're going to regret that later" picks.

[Dingle]

To be honest I might as well flip a coin. I've already picked Torres over Balotelli so I'm well on my way with "well you're going to regret that later" picks.

I want less scepticism from you this year :@!

[stokeriño]

TORRES WILL SCORE 100 GOALS, THE LAST OF WHICH SHALL CAUSE THE EARTH TO SPLIT IN TWO AND LOFTUS ROAD SHALL BE SWALLOWED UP IN ITS BOTTOMLESS CHASM

Joey Barton will survive though, just because he's like that.

[Lineker]

A really interesting read.

Wish I knew who TSF was.

[Summers]

Danny Murphy, isn't it?

[Jimmy]

Very interesting read. Surely someone with better knowledge can connect the dots?