English Premier League 2012/13

Schedule for next season had been released.

Full Schedule


We will play Sunderland for opening game at home on 18 August 2012..

Other than that :

Everton v Manchester United
Fulham v Norwich City
Manchester City v Southampton
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Queens Park Rangers v Swansea City
Reading v Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool
West Ham United v Aston Villa
Wigan Athletic v Chelsea

Away against a newly promoted side. Not a great first fixture.

This season should be an interesting one. Who knows what to expect from Liverpool, Chelsea and ourselves this year. Man City and Man Utd though will no doubt be back at the summit. You'd also expect Villa to bounce back to some degree and at least one of Swansea and Norwich to suffer from second-season syndrome.

As for the new boys, let's see if Reading can maintain their impressive form in a higher division. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the teams who've come up as I think these three are a definite improvement over Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves, at least from an entertainment point of view.

I'm happy to start with a home match after away trips on the opeing day three seasons in a row.

The schedule looks fine for us with the games against the big teams spread out. Good that we play the Stoke away game early. If we could survive that we don't have to think about it for the rest of the season (unless we face them in the cup).

Perhaps there should be a thread for prediciting the league if the users are interested, but it is too early for that. Something to think about in the beginning of August perhaps?

Away against a newly promoted side. Not a great first fixture.

Toughest opponents away first, good stuff.

Why is it that there isn't a single 12:45 fixture this season? Those are the only games that I can watch here in Sydney at a decent time of 9:45 or 10:45 pm (depending on daylight saving). Still I'll be up to support the Arsenal whatever the time is.

I'm pretty sure the exact kick off times are going to be announced later on.

Games can still be shifted later on in the season aswell, as a result of a team's progression in a cup competition.

Don't worry Sydney Gooner, the games will be spread out as usual. There will be Super Sundays and United resting more than all the other teams around New Year's Eve as always. Nothing is gonna change.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18562229

I remember Alan MacDonald well; R.I.P.

I'm guessing QPR might have some kind of tribute; a brilliant servant he was for them.

Pretty sure it will be the same top four again this season. I doubt Newcastle can repeat last seasons heroics, Liverpool and spurs are in turmoil (whats new?). Glad to see WHU back in the premiership.

Pretty sure it will be the same top four again this season. I doubt Newcastle can repeat last seasons heroics, Liverpool and spurs are in turmoil (whats new?). Glad to see WHU back in the premiership.

Then it wouldn't be the same since Spuds finished 4th last season

Although it meant **** all

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18774631

Mancini signs a 5-year deal. I don't know what the odds would be, but I'd take some that he doesn't see that contract out. It's probably the right thing to do from both parties though.

If Aguero skied that last minute chance vs QPR, Mancini would be unemployed already. Small margins - but for that goal, their season looks like one big failure after another including both European comps.

If Aguero skied that last minute chance vs QPR, Mancini would be unemployed already. Small margins - but for that goal, their season looks like one big failure after another including both European comps.

Good point; I think you're right. Don't know what it says about the extension then - Mancini isn't all that special in my opinion, but I suppose he has built some kind of rapport with this mercenary bunch.

Scum, Liverpool, Swansea, Villa, Norwich, West Brom all have new managers and Sunderland, QPR, and Chelsea managers still haven't completed a season. Wouldn't be surprised to see point-securing pensive approaches

If Aguero skied that last minute chance vs QPR, Mancini would be unemployed already. Small margins - but for that goal, their season looks like one big failure after another including both European comps.

Yep. Same with martinez the year before (albeit on the other end of the scale)

30 seconds away from getting relegated, but scraped through. And since has been linked with every job going.
Yet if that 30 seconds had been different, would he be held in anywhere near the same regard?

Yep, Martinez definitely gets alot of praise, too much for me when you consider what sides like Swansea and Norwich did last year. I rate him FWIW but all seems a tad overboard.

As for Mancini, he's clearly a pretty good manager, but don't think he's a top coach or anything. I'd say it was the sheer quality of the squad that dragged them over the line in the end. And United blowing it at home to Everton.

Think Mancini deserves some praise for how he's done at City. Not easy managing that amount of egos, yet he's done that rather well and made them play some good football as well.

Martinez deserves all the praise he's getting imo. Nevermind Wigan's escape last season, he basically put in the foundation at Swansea which I can't help but feel Rodgers was just reaping the benefits of.

It's not uncommon for a newly promoted team to do well - Stoke and West Brom has done that in recent times - so for me Rodgers has proven **** all and is a very risky appointment by Liverpool.

We're certainly in for an entertaining season and the fight to stay up will be brutal and sadly we're going to be a part of that.

Southampton, West Brom, Swansea, Wigan, West Ham, QPR, Norwich, Reading and hell maybe even Stoke. 3 of those team will go down, and for me it's hard to pick 3.

People always pick Wigan to go down but yet they don't. Basically, no team is a "lock" to go down this season.

Think Mancini deserves some praise for how he's done at City. Not easy managing that amount of egos, yet he's done that rather well and made them play some good football as well.

Shows that it's not easy managing that amount of egos, how's it done "rather well" with the repeated Balotelli and Tevez fiascos?

Think Mancini deserves some praise for how he's done at City. Not easy managing that amount of egos, yet he's done that rather well and made them play some good football as well.

Shows that it's not easy managing that amount of egos, how's it done "rather well" with the repeated Balotelli and Tevez fiascos?

Not bowing down and kissing their feet, taking no **** and getting on with things.

Both of them acted up. What did he do? Played someone else and waited for THEM to apologize and come back.

I like that type of management. You **** up, you deal with it. But he's still ready to give them another chance if they make amends.

Jonathan de Guzman from Villareal to Swansea. 1 season loan.

Smart move by Swansea, their game suits him well.

Yep, Martinez definitely gets alot of praise, too much for me when you consider what sides like Swansea and Norwich did last year. I rate him FWIW but all seems a tad overboard.

Swansea wouldn't be the team they are today without Martinez laying the ground work though.

He did do some good work at Swansea, no doubt about that. Really should be out of Wigan by now.

Yep, I'm not saying Martinez doesn't deserve credit, he most certainly does.
Was just pointing out the fine margins. if he'd gone down 2 seasons ago instead of scraping survival, I don't think people would see him in nearly as good a light as they do now.

Think Mancini deserves some praise for how he's done at City. Not easy managing that amount of egos, yet he's done that rather well and made them play some good football as well.

Shows that it's not easy managing that amount of egos, how's it done "rather well" with the repeated Balotelli and Tevez fiascos?

Not bowing down and kissing their feet, taking no **** and getting on with things.

Both of them acted up. What did he do? Played someone else and waited for THEM to apologize and come back.

I like that type of management. You **** up, you deal with it. But he's still ready to give them another chance if they make amends.

He said that Tevez would never play again for the club. You just don't come with this type of definite statements if you're not 100% sure you won't play them again. Tevez made him look like a mug, he and Balotelli are living proof that Mancini will put up with whatever you do there as long as you perform on the pitch.

On the other hand, his ability to not be stubborn and hold a grudge about either situation and let them come back into the team, arguably won them the title.

Tevez put in some great performances when he came back, and Balotelli provided the assist that won the game vs QPR.

If he'd stuck to his guns and kept leaving them out, who knows what would have happened?

Anyone following the John Terry trial? There's enough there for me to feel he should be let off. Feel sorry for him tbh, my gut feeling is that he has been ''stitched up, well and proper'', like he says, poor lad.

In other news, was listening to Villas Boas speak yesterday, he has this way of talking alot but actually not say much, likes to waffle. Massive season for him, more or less confirmed Modric is leaving too.

I'm more amazed that Terry thing went to court, what a waste of resources.

Carter-Stephenson: "F***ing nobhead' is something I suspect you've been called on the pitch on a number of occasions". Ferdinand: "Yes"

Seriously?.......