EPL 2016/17

[Kid B]

We ought to have a thread didn't we, okay I know there are just a few that will want to contribute but my first question would be, who's up for Friday night football?!

I like it because it extends the weekend and as there is already Sunday football and often a Monday night game, why not?

I'm sure Webster will have watched Manchester United defeating Southampton last night.

In other news, Steven Pienaar looks set to sign for Sunderland and in today's early kick-off, Manchester City travel to Stoke.

 

[Kid B]

Burnley 2-0 Liverpool is worth entering into this diary, apparently the home side had just 20% possession and two shots on target and Klopp's stuttering post-match interview gave no clues towards an explanation for this embarrassment.

Cit-eh looked impressive in their 4-1 win at Stoke and Spurs left it late to oversee Palace who have signed Christian Benteke from Liverpool.

Leicester and Arsenal played out a bore draw and Everton came from behind at the Hawthorns winning 2-1 with new signing Bolasie on the bench.

Similar scenario at Vicarage Road where Chelsea also came from a goal down to beat Watford with Costa netting a late winner.

Today sees a north-east derby at the Stadium Of Light as Sunderland host Middlesbrough and West Ham play home to Bournemouth at the Olympic Stadium.

 

[Webster]

Burnley 2-0 Liverpool is worth entering into this diary, apparently the home side had just 20% possession and two shots on target and Klopp's stuttering post-match interview gave no clues towards an explanation for this embarrassment.

...the reaction most Liverpool fans had watching the match....reminded me of last year's 3-0 loss to Watford....

 

[Webster]

I'm sure Webster will have watched Manchester United defeating Southampton last night.

*shrugs* Wasn't anything else on....I do wish NBCSN could've found another pair of commentators besides Peter Drury & Phil Neville; Drury sounds like nails on a chalkboard...and Neville? Didn't care for a mo-fo when he played for the Red Bastards, still don't care for him now as a commentator...

 

[Kid B]

Interesting, have you seen that EE ad that's akin to ESPN?

Harsh on Bournemouth today, once Arter got a second yellow they couldn't hang on for what would have been a well-deserved point at West Ham who looked toothless without Payet, Lanzini and Carroll.

My fantasy team were helped by van Aanholt scoring and two assists by Negredo whose performances might well help keep Middlesbrough in the Premier League.

 

[Webster]

Shaw's battle
--The Guardian lead with their feature on Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, who discusses his long recovery from a double leg break.


Don't panic!Panic buys? What panic buys?
--The Express lead their sports pages on Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger spending a reported £52m on Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi and Spanish striker Lucas Perez. Wenger, known for being fairly thrifty in the transfer market, insists his purchases aren't down to fan pressure.

The players were due to have medicals on Friday before their move to the Emirates.


The billion pound drop?
--Could we be heading for the billion pound mark this summer transfer window?

Arsene Wenger certainly thinks so, according to the Telegraph. While we're on the subject of deadline day...

 

[Kid B]

Mustafi is good and I might consider him for the fantasy team after he's settled. Don'tcha just hate these international break weekends? But next weekend it returns in earnest with the Manchester derby. What about all these new signings? Will Sissoko be given starts at Spurs, David Luiz's surprise return to the Bridge and will Jack Wilshire get much game time at Bournemouth? I think Eddie Howe will use him as much as he can.

 

[Webster]

You know, I was watching Transfer Deadline Day over on NBCSN and for the life of me, I have yet to hear a decent explanation why, with all the commentators out there, they have to have The S--'s Neil Ashton on their show. Now, I'm sure Ashton's a good gentlemen, but he works for the absolute worst f***ing rag known to journalism (just google Sun Hillsborough as to why they're still reviled on Merseyside - and throughout most of the known football world)....

 

[Kid B]

The current bun used to be that they thought they were that good you couldn't copy anything from the news site unless you joined as a member and paid.

Not the case now they've given in, they're just like everyone else, not sure many people bother with it anyway as there are far better resources for news that cater for real life that doesn't involve the Kardashians.

 

[Kid B]

England got a dramatic 95th minute winner against ten-man Slovakia and totally deserved it.

EPL-wise the transfer window is done and dusted and I can't wait for next weekend, as Webster will know it's Liverpool v Leicester, a game which I think Liverpool won 1-0 last season.

 

[Webster]

EPL-wise the transfer window is done and dusted and I can't wait for next weekend, as Webster will know it's Liverpool v Leicester, a game which I think Liverpool won 1-0 last season.

Ahh, yes, the first home match for Liverpool at the greatest stadium in all the land - Anfield! - where we get to open the expanded Main Stand and where the Kop are always at full for 90 minutes, Kid B...

 

[Kid B]

Ahh, yes, the first home match for Liverpool at the greatest stadium in all the land - Anfield! - where we get to open the expanded Main Stand and where the Kop are always at full for 90 minutes, Kid B...

Well I wonder who will be top of the Klopps this weekend. One thing is I am not expecting Leicester to do anything much this time around even with their new striker signing but Liverpool look as fragile as ever defensively and they must still fix the left back berth. One Liverpool fan I listened to on a radio phone-in recently bemoaned Firmino saying he was lazy and why does he start before Sturridge, what is your opinion on this? I think Sturridge is so injury prone it is the reason he is so often on the bench.

 

[Webster]

Firmino saying he was lazy and why does he start before Sturridge, what is your opinion on this? I think Sturridge is so injury prone it is the reason he is so often on the bench.

Firmino's a hard worker....but Studge needs to get off his ass and get back out there; he's a striker and he needs to start doing what strikers are paid to do: score goals.

 

[Webster]

....well, here's a blow to Manchester City going into this week's matches....

(The Guardian) Sergio Agüero has been found guilty of violent conduct and will miss the derby with Manchester United on 10 September, the first match of a three-game ban.

Manchester City had appealed against the charge and argued that if the striker was found guilty he should receive less than a three-game ban because, they said, cases involving a greater degree of violence had met with that punishment.

Yet the Football Association’s three-person independent commission decided the forward was guilty and merited the standard suspension. He will miss the derby at Old Trafford, plus the visit of Bournemouth on 17 September and the EFL Cup trip to Swansea City four days later.

The charge relates to City’s 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday when Agüero appeared to elbow Winston Reid. An FA statement read: “The Manchester City forward was involved in a 76th-minute incident with West Ham United’s Winston Reid on Sunday, which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.

“The club denied the charge and submitted further that, if it was to be found proven, the standard punishment would be clearly excessive. On finding the charge proven at a hearing today, an independent regulatory commission went on to reject the club’s further claim to decrease the three-match ban.”

The loss of Agüero is a considerable blow to City and Pep Guardiola. The manager has guided the team to an impressive start in which they have won their first five matches. Agüero, who has featured four times, has scored six goals, three in the Premier League to help City to the top of the table. The Argentinian has also registered eight times in derbies, the club’s third-highest tally.

 

[Kid B]

Well, only has himself to blame and the ref was poor saying he missed it when he was looking right at it. Aguero has this in the locker but isn't quite as bad as Costa. Least the superkid Iheanacho will start three games and is a ready replacement.

 

[Kid B]

As for tonight's footy I am being entertained, if that's what you call it by Sweden v Netherlands on ITV4.

 

[Webster]

Well, only has himself to blame and the ref was poor saying he missed it when he was looking right at it.

Maybe Manchester United's favorite ref (a/k/a Howard Webb) is now running the FA....

 

[Webster]

Liverpool FC: Mane - I'm Fit & Ready To Face Leicester

James Carroll
@James_Carroll84
--Sadio Mane has confirmed he has returned to Melwood fully fit following the international break, dismissing any suggestion he had sustained an injury while featuring for Senegal at the weekend.

The Liverpool forward was substituted after an hour of his country’s 2-0 victory over Namibia in an AFCON qualifier in Dakar.

However, Mane insists the decision was not due to a concern over fitness and he is ready to join his Reds teammates in preparations for Saturday’s Anfield encounter with Leicester City.

He told Liverpoolfc.com: “I’m fit. It’s true I got a little kick in the back of the knee, but it was nothing special - it happened in the first half and I played for the rest of the game.

“I’d spoke with the coach and because we have new players, he wanted to try [them] and change me, so the substitution was not due to injury.

“The most important thing is I am here today at Melwood, I am happy to be fit and will get myself ready for Leicester in the rest of the week.”

Mane revealed he spoke to Jürgen Klopp following the game and assured him he hadn’t picked up a knock.

The 24-year-old continued: “I spoke to the coach [Klopp] and told him everything was OK, I am 100 per cent fit and there was nothing specific [to report].

“After the game, I went to the airport to take a flight. When I reached Paris the following morning, I had many messages on my phone with people and my family asking what happened because they saw in the press I had an injury. I said to them, ‘no, no, I am OK!’.”

 

[Kid B]

This is welcome news as I already ditched Firmino for Mane in my fantasy XI. Really looking forward to the weekend action after this international break although I think there is another hiatus before Christmas.

 

[Webster]

BBC Sport: Palace Sign Ex-Arsenal Midfielder

Crystal Palace have signed former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini on a contract until the end of the season.

Flamini, 32, left the Gunners this summer having made 246 appearances over two spells and winning three FA Cups.

The Frenchman, who also won the Serie A title in 2011 during five years at AC Milan, is Palace's fifth permanent signing of the summer.

Meanwhile, loan signing Loic Remy has been ruled out for a number of weeks with an ankle injury.

The 29-year-old joined from Chelsea on 30 August and has now returned to the Blues for treatment.

On Flamini, Palace manager Alan Pardew said he was pleased to "have secured a player of his stature", adding: "His playing ability will help us but also his leadership qualities and his ability of how to win games in a passing style."

Flamini described his new club as "very ambitious" and said the move was a "very interesting challenge".

The Eagles signed Andros Townsend, Steve Mandanda, James Tomkins, and Christian Benteke earlier this summer.