I see the EPL have made a ton of rule changes attacking Arsenal.
Time wasting will see a throw or free overturned to the opposition.
Injured players go off for a minute now.
If a goal keeper is injured an outfield player now gets nominated to go off for a minute.
Holding at set pieces will be honed in on.
A rake of others .
Basically Arsenal’s whole anti football game plan has been addressed.
Anything about the manager not prowling the entire touchline?
- Arsenal: The monkey is off their back after last season and I can see them opening up and expressing themselves a little bit more. They didn’t get the top tier attacking addition they were hoping for but with everyone else in a state of flux they should have enough to retain the title. They’re a bit like Tipp in the hurling when it comes to going back-to-back. They haven’t actually won consecutive titles since the 1930’s.
- Chelsea: Snaring Alonso is a real coup and no European football means they’ll be much fresher than their competitors. On the face of it Henderson and Welbeck look like strange signings but I’d liken them to adding two auld cows into a field of heifers. They’ll calm everyone around them and help them mature. Lacroix is a big upgrade at CB but I’m amazed they’re still reliant on Robert Sanchez in goal.
- Man City: A big drop off is a distinct possibility after losing Pep, Rodri, Stones and Bernardo Silva. I don’t rate Enzo at all and wasn’t overly impressed with his work at Chelsea but a dog with a mallet up its hole would still lead that squad to top 4. Like the even more abhorrent Jimmy Saville we’ve been hearing that their case comes up next Tuesday for quite a while and they’re only 14/1 to get relegated with that in mind.
- Liverpool: Richard Hughes appears to have made a hames of a title winning squad and the recruitment has been questionable since his arrival two years ago. Huge question marks around the right hand side of the team but they still have the title winning midfield and potential gems in Wirtz and Isak. I’m giving them 4th in the expectation that a Bradley Barcola type signing arrives before the close of window. An exciting but chaotic season, reminiscent of the early Klopp days 16/17.
- Man United: I’m in two minds of Yanited. On one side they have more points accumulated than anyone in the 17 games since Carrick took over as caretaker. On the flip side a few here have opined that the whole thing is cursed since Fergie’s departure. I’d have 2nd if they’d gone out and signed Tchoumeni and Alvarez but I’m a little bit underwhelmed by their summer business thus far after a solid window last year. Assuming the English teams are still top of the yearly coefficient then 5th is basically the same as 3rd, but this season offers a huge chance for them to finish above City for the first time in 14 years.
- Spurs: They’ve won the transfer window and like Chelsea above they have no European distractions. They improved massively once De Zerbi came in and actually resembled a football team again.
- Villa: Initially had them higher but Rogers, Tielemans, Konsa (?) and potentially Watkins would be huge losses to absorb. You just know Emery will work his magic but they can’t continue to completely outperform their xG forever.
- Brentford: I had them 18th to go down last season before Keith Andrews adapted to management like a duck to water. They’ve managed to retain all of their key players and upgraded in the middle with the highly rated Sangare coming from Ligue 1 to replace Henderson.
- Leeds: Rarely lost a game in the second half of last season. A sleeping giant who have completed some good summer acquisitions with the arrival of a monster centre-half Muharemovic, James Trafford and Harry Wilson.
- Brighton: Always hovering between the European places and mid-table.
- Forest: Glassner is a great appointment, although you do ponder how long they’ll actually manage to keep him happy given their madcap owner.
- Everton: A crowded middle class in the Premier League but David Moyes rarely leads a club in that category astray. If his work at West Ham and his previous stint at the Ev are anything to go by then this could be much higher.
- Palace: The Europa League will be a big focus this season but their incoming manager had a fine season with Lens last year.
- Newcastle: Big drop off expected after losing a plethora of key figures like Tonali, Gordon, Bruno G and the manager himself Eddie Howe. The manager Jaissle is apparently highly rated but in diddy league like Austria and Saudi Arabia.
- Bournemouth: A bit lower than expected but it’s very competitive/uncertain outside of the top 6 this season and even most of the top teams are in a state of flux. Europe will take it out of them but still a sprinkling of quality there with Alex Scott and the currently injured Kroupi Jr.
- Sunderland: Like many they’ll struggle to sustain Europe and their domestic interests but should have enough to stave off the drop. A case of second season syndrome for a team whose form dropped off gradually after Christmas.
- Fulham: Replacing Marco Silva with Arbeloa is a huge gamble. New arrival Garcia’s goals might just keep them afloat.
- Ipswich: Best of the newly promoted teams. Interested to see how Maeda fares at the 1981 UEFA Cup winners. Gary O’ Neill kept similarly placed Bournemouth and Wolves teams up so I give them every chance. Their second crack at this.
- Coventry: Frank Lampard is a good championship manager as a name who can use connections to loan players from bigger clubs. Not as effective in the lower reaches of the top tier.
- Hull: 4th leakiest defence in the second tier last season. Surely certs to go straight back down again.
Unless Liverpool pull off 2 or 3 big signings before deadline i think they are looking at 6th at very best.
VVD a year older and still has no protection in front of him.
There’s no RB.
The centre half in on loan literally had a nervous breakdown last year.
As mentioned, there’s no Midfield from a defensive point of view. None.
Ekitike is out for the year. Isak cant go 5 games without an injury.
Wirtz is not suited to the EPL. Technically very good but he doesn’t like it up him and isn’t athletic (hope I’m wrong)
Rio is still potential.
There’s no right winger.
Depth of squad is tiny.
Agreed the centre-forward position is very light if and when Isak gets injured. That’s assuming he’s not as anaemic as last year too. Ekitike is a huge loss. A player openly going full Bressie is unusual too and you would wonder how he’ll handle the even more rigorous mental demands of the EPL. Jacquet looked the part against Como last week at least. They’ve completely neglected the right hand side and sacrificed squad depth. 4th or 5th looks likely alright.
6th or 7th more likely
1 Tottenham Hotspurs
2 Arsenal
3 Chelsea
4 Manchester United
5 Abu Dhabi
6 Liverpool
7 Notts Forest
8 Aston Villa
9 Leeds United
10 Everton
11 Brentford
12 Brighton
13 Crystal Palace
14 Ipswich
15 Bournemouth
16 Saudi Arabia
17 Sunderland
18 Fulham
19 Coventry
20 Hull
Excellent summation.
Very good . I think Chelsea have a real live chance of winning it. My neck out prediction- Sunderland to be relegated
What’s the bressie reference?
Liverpool’s new signing Ronald Aaroújo went public about a mental health break last year. Surely could’ve just passed it off as a knock. I’d say countless personal problems have been described as injuries in the past. Sure lads were speculating that Tomas Rosicky had a drug addiction when he was missing for over a year at one point.
James Rodriguez being trans was the best rumour ever for a player being out injured.
Daniel Sturridge.
Although his issue was a mental problem about constantly being injured.
What a player though. I’d say probably could have been as good as Kane with a clear run at it.
He was a fraud.
A nice left foot but apart from that a shocking tempermant.
Suspect alright but would you not have rated him? I’d be inclined to believe the injuries were real because the likes of Lar Corbett, Arjen Robben and Keith Earls all had injuries (hamstring mainly) they couldn’t diagnose but they eventually got right. Earls couldn’t breathe for half his career, coaches thought it was in his head, then they started strapping his diaphram and it helped him immensely
One story about Daniel Sturridge.
He was in his second last year of his contract at Liverpool. In January West Brom came in for him and he joined them on loan until the end of the season. They were in relegation trouble. 20 minutes into his first match he goes down injured and never played again until the end of the season as a result. Back to Liverpool then, facing into the final year of his contract and he is flying in pre season. The injury which kept him out for four months seemingly vanished.