Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Colly]

You can't see his socks in that photo! He might be wearing flipflops!

[Adam]

I'm chuffed for AVB to get back in at a fairly high level club quickly and I'm delighted he's staying in the Premier League. Be great to see him take Spurs to the next level over the next few years.

[Lineker]

Really happy with the appointment. Will be interesting to see who we sign now.

[Dingle]

Steal Hulk away from Chelsea ?

[Liam]

I liked what I saw of AVB, but I do feel that Spurs fans are clutching at straws slightly.

'Oh yes, I'm so happy to have a guy who flopped before the end of the year at Chelsea at the helm of my team! Can't wait!'

[MJB]

Just read on BBC Sport that Daniel Sturridge has undergone tests for meningitis

[Lineker]

How awful. Could be replaced by Jordan Rhodes? Still it's his health which is the priority.

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge has had tests for suspected meningitis.

The 22-year-old has been selected in Stuart Pearce's Great Britain Olympic football squad, but was taken ill over the weekend and had tests at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.

It is not yet known how serious the illness is, but Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo will reveal more details at a scheduled news conference on Wednesday.

Team GB is due to play its first game at the Olympics on 26 July.

The development could mean Pearce might have to call up another striker in Sturridge's place and presents a potential selection dilemma after the coach was criticised for leaving out LA Galaxy and England midfielder David Beckham.

The Team GB squad is set to meet at a holding camp in Loughborough next weekend, and Football Association medical staff will assess the results of tests before deciding if Sturridge can still play a part.

Pearce has until July 25 to select a replacement should Sturridge be forced to withdraw, with those on the stand-by list believed to include Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes.

Team GB face Senegal in their opening match, before facing United Arab Emirates on 29 July and Uruguay on 1 August.

Sturridge was left out of England's Euro 2012 squad despite impressing in the friendly against the Netherlands when Pearce was in temporary charge.

He scored 13 goals for Chelsea in 43 appearances last season.

Manchester United has applied to list on the US stock market in a share sale that aimed at raising $100m (£64m).

In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Premier League giant said it listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

The club had earlier explored the possibility of a $1bn floatation on the Singapore stock market.

United, among the best-supported clubs in the world, said it would use money from the listing to repay debt.

The club has been controlled since 2005 by the Glazer family, the billionaire US sports investors who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football franchise.

But the club has in recent years been weighed down with heavy debts despite its huge global fanbase and promotional and marketing efforts.

"We intend to use all of our net proceeds from this offering to reduce our indebtedness," the prospectus filed with the SEC said.

In September United received approval for a share sale in Singapore, but the process was delayed because of volatility in the stock markets.

Several high-profile flotations have been pulled in recent months as investor appetite has been dampened by the European debt crisis and worries that Asian economies are slowing.

[Fudge]

I want Beckham in!

[Lineker]

This year's match ball.

[Jimmy]

I liked what I saw of AVB, but I do feel that Spurs fans are clutching at straws slightly.

'Oh yes, I'm so happy to have a guy who flopped before the end of the year at Chelsea at the helm of my team! Can't wait!'

Alternatively you could be all

"Oh yes, we got the guy who did the treble with Porto and went unbeaten in a season." (I think.) It's optimistic, but without Chelsea's old guard and the high expectations that come with that job, I really think he'll be a success. Just like I think he'd have been a success at Chelsea had Abromovich not panicked and pulled the plug after a few months.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I reckon the reality will be somewhere between the two: Not as successful as at Porto but does better than at Chelsea.

[Plubby]

http://katecohensoccer.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/why-andre-villas-boas-will-be-a-success-at-liverpool%E2%80%8F/

This article (and I think it was linked in a Prem thread previously) described why AVB might work at Liverpool and why he didn't work at Chelsea. There's a few holes that would need to be filled (Adebayor would go a long way to achieving it), but this is a system that I think AVB can work with at Spurs.

[Pesci]

I think the obvious difference between Spurs and Chelsea is the lack of any real dominant senior players in the dressing room. When you come into a team that has had a core of very successful players and set about making big changes, it will always be more difficult. Spurs' big name players tend to be quite young and their defence will be more suited to playing with a high line I think. I back him to do well. There's your people who see him as a failure because of his time at Chelsea and then those who see his promise because of what he did at Porto; I'm of the opinion that he's a bit of a steal to be honest and I'm annoyed Spurs have got him.

I think it will be between Chelsea and Spurs for the 4th Champions League spot - that's not to say that they won't finish 3rd instead of Arsenal, but much like predicting Wigan to go down I've decided to give up on Arsenal missing out on the Champions League. They're basically entrenched in the top four at this point no matter who comes or goes :/

[Colly]

This year's match ball.

It's in 3D! I miss Mitre Deltas, the proper Premier League ball.

[Colly]

Sturridge has been treated for suspected viral meningitis but still waiting on test results. He's recovering though and wants to be fit for the Olympics, big positive being that he's okay though. Horrible weird disease, an otherwise perfectly healthy 13 year old died of it while I was at school.

[IAceI]

Sky fixtures out, and will no doubt be changed for European fixtures etc. anyways

AUGUST

Sun 19: Wigan v Chelsea (1.30pm)

Sun 19: Man City v Southampton (4pm)

Mon 20: Everton v Man Utd (8pm)

Sat 25: Swansea v West Ham (12.45pm)

Sun 26: Stoke v Arsenal (1.30pm)

Sun 26: Liverpool v Man City (4pm)

SEPTEMBER

Sat 1: West Ham v Fulham (12.45pm)

Sun 2: Liverpool v Arsenal (1.30pm)

Sun 2: Southampton v Man Utd (4pm)

Sat 15: Norwich v West Ham (12.45pm)

Sun 16: Reading v Tottenham (4pm)

Mon 17: Everton v Newcastle (8pm)

Sat 22: Swansea v Everton (12.45pm)

Sun 23: Liverpool v Man Utd (1.30pm)

Sun 23: Man City v Arsenal (4pm)

Sat 29: Arsenal v Chelsea (12.45pm)

Sun 30: Aston Villa v West Brom (4pm)

OCTOBER

Mon 1: QPR v West Ham (8pm)

Sat 6: Man City v Sunderland (12.45pm)

Sun 7: Southampton v Fulham (1.30pm)

Sun 7: Newcastle v Man Utd (4pm)

Sat 20: Tottenham v Chelsea (12.45pm)

Sun 21: Sunderland v Newcastle (1.30pm)

Sun 21: QPR v Everton (4pm)

Sat 27: Everton v Liverpool (12.45pm)

Sun 28: Aston Villa v Norwich (1.30pm)

Sun 28: Chelsea v Man Utd (4pm)

NOVEMBER

Sat 3: Man Utd v Arsenal (12.45pm)

Sun 4: QPR v Reading (1.30pm)

Sun 4: Liverpool v Newcastle (4pm)

Mon 5: West Brom v Southampton (8pm)

Sat 10: Aston Villa v Man Utd (5.30pm)

Sun 11: Man City v Tottenham (1.30pm)

Sun 11: Chelsea v Liverpool (4pm)

Sat 17: Arsenal v Tottenham (12.45pm)

Sun 18: Fulham v Sunderland (4pm)

Mon 19: West Ham v Stoke (8pm)

Sat 24: Swansea v Liverpool (12.45pm)

Sun 25: Sunderland v West Brom (1.30pm)

Sun 25: Chelsea v Man City (4pm)

Tue 27: Aston Villa v Reading (8pm)

Wed 28: Wigan v Man City (8pm)

Sunderland v Newcastle moved to Sunday to allow idiots a chance to spend an entire Saturday drinking in preperation.

Edited July 5, 2012 by IAceI

[Colly]

Not sure how well that works as a preparation session to be fair. When's the last time we played on a Saturday?

I'm just glad its on tv to be honest, its usually the game at SJP every season, largely so they can trot out the usual Reid, Allardyce etc to gloat if possible.

Edit: and the Europa League pileup begins. The club asked to have our second week game against Chelsea put back to Sunday which was refused, and UEFA refused to move our Europa game to Wednesday, so we're playing Thursday and Saturday. Rats. Hope we get a home draw in the cup.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Colly

[DavidMarrio]

West Ham VS Stoke on a Monday night what a treat.

Here's the ESPN fixtures

August

Saturday 18: Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur 5:30pm

Saturday 25: Chelsea v Newcastle United 5:30pm

September

Saturday 1: Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers 5:30pm

Saturday 15: Sunderland v Liverpool 5:30pm

Saturday 29: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur 5:30pm

October

Saturday 6: West Ham United v Arsenal 5:30pm

Saturday 20: Norwich City v Arsenal 5:30pm

Saturday 27: Manchester City v Swansea City 5:30pm

November

Saturday 3: West Ham United v Manchester City 5:30pm

Saturday 17: Norwich City v Manchester United 5:30pm

Saturday 24: Aston Villa v Arsenal 5:30pm

[stokeriño]

Hooray, Wigan game is on TV. This is going to be a barren season for money spent on away travel (got a new house to furnish/savings to build back up from zero/etc.), so any away games on TV is good news for me. Especially when the train tickets are about £60.

[IAceI]

I'd also prefer as many away games as possible to be on TV; so as many home matches can be left at 3pm Saturday - I love my routines.