2012/2013 English Premier League

[Tumbling Dice]

I agree with that, just wish the fans would realise it's the club's policy that needs changing not the manager.

Agreed.

Arsene Wenger is a world class manager of unquestionable ability and savvy, and as far as we know he still has the same drive and enthusiasm for the game as Sir Alex.  While it is a reasonable proposition to replace Wenger as the manager and so build the foundations for Arsenal’s future success, it should be considered with great caution.  The last thing they need is to bring in a so-called top young manager like AVB.  It’s been said all along that Wenger doesn’t like spending big money signing top players but prefers to scout for less high profile players who represent better value for money.  While there’s no doubt that he had great success in that, the real reason he did that was because for most of his time at Arsenal they weren’t in a position to compete on an equal financial footing with Man Utd or Chelsea.  But now Arsenal are in a position to pay more competitive transfer fees and players’ wages, Wenger could once again build an absolutely fantastic team capable of winning the Premiership title and the Champions League provided the board back him.  He was given a significant transfer kitty in the summer but in the current market he’s going to need a lot more leeway.

[Tumbling Dice]

Swansea City have reached the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time in their history.

 

[Bads316]

Balotelli - 'So it's the end of the world on the 21st? I hope I'm sitting next to Fergie when it happens, he'll get 10 more minutes than everyone else'

Apparently Mark Clattenburg is being investigated by the FA again! He allegedly called Gareth Barry a 'footballer'. Shocking.

Young lions doing me proud today! 

[Tumbling Dice]

I reckon Brenda Rodgers half-time team talk would give people more laughs than John Bishop's entire stand-up show.  And it would still feature a past it footballer wearing a jersey with 'Gerrard' on the back.

[Bads316]

Not a crumb of credit for us then?

[Tumbling Dice]

Well done the Villa.

I do have a soft spot for Aston Villa.  I used to go past Villa Park on the train every day when I was at University.

[Bads316]

We'll probably still be last on MOTD.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/astonvilla/id/181?cc=5739#

Win, lose or draw I'm very pleased and proud of what we're doing at the moment.

[Tumbling Dice]

Everton are making hard work of it.

[Bads316]

Yeah but you're not losing, Stoke's a hard place to go for anyone, scoring a goal there is an achievement in itself. Think Fellaini could be in big trouble, fair play to Moyes though, he didn't exactly duck the issue.  Disgusting from Fellaini, not just the head-butt, but the elbow and the slap.

[Maximus]

Can't read too much in the first game. Arsenal looks doomed though.

Well they are owned by SK who also owns the NFL STL Rams who used to be a good team won a super bowl and went to the playoffs many times in the late 90's early 00's then SK bought them--nothing since

[imedi]

We'll probably still be last on MOTD.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/astonvilla/id/181?cc=5739#

Win, lose or draw I'm very pleased and proud of what we're doing at the moment.

this liverpool team would try the patience of a saint

[Tumbling Dice]

The Premier League clubs have finally agreed, in principle, to introduce cost controls.  The two main proposals are a break even rule and a cap on the amount clubs can increase their wage bills by each season.  The only two clubs opposed are Man City and Fulham.  This doesn’t really surprise me because Man City have to spend considerably more than their income in order to compete with Man Utd and made a loss of £98 Million in their latest accounts.  Fulham also spend more than their income and probably feel they need to do this just to stay in the Premiership.  But something needs to be done to limit costs because the Premier League clubs made cumulative losses of £361 Million in 2010-11.  Clearly this is unsustainable and puts some clubs into a perilous debt situation and most don’t have a uber-wealthy sugar daddy to write it off.  I agree with West Ham’s co-chairman, David Gold, who says that football clubs should be run to make a profit.  Players and their agents are in it to make money, so why shouldn’t the owners of clubs?

[Tumbling Dice]

Twitter's proving to be a great way for the FA to raise revenue.

[Tumbling Dice]

A timely win for the Gunners.

[Tumbling Dice]

Great win for Everton at West Ham this afternoon.  This is the kind of strength needed for a top 4 finish.