EPL Talk: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Latest Exciting Developments from EPL Talk

Apologies to those of you who were expecting to hear a couple of additional EPL Talk Podcast episodes this week. We'll have one up this weekend (either Saturday or Sunday) with another one to follow shortly afterwards. A perfect remedy for a long holiday weekend and a lack of Premiership football.

The reason for the delay is there's so much good news happening at EPL Talk right now. First, we just completed an interview this evening with Gary Richards from The 2 G's radio show. Tomorrow (Friday) morning, the next issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter will be distributed with transfer headlines, a schedule of all of the Euro 2008 matches on TV this weekend, an exclusive preview of the next podcast, history of the European Championship tournament, and much more.

Friday morning we're also interviewing Adrian Sherling from Manchester Buccaneers fame, which should be an interesting and humorous interview.

We're also planning the strategy for the third issue of the EPL Talk Magazine after your extremely helpful feedback.

Lots happening, plus more news to come, so stay tuned to this blog.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:02 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Fox Soccer Channel to Televise Argies Debut

Breaking News. The Tevez and Mascherano signings are now official. The two Argentine national team players will make their debut for West Ham at home against Aston Villa on Sunday, September 10th.

And the wonderful news is that viewers of Fox Soccer Channel will be able to see their debut live on the channel that day at 11am ET.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:34 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

West Ham United Poised to Sign Tevez and Mascherano

Carlos Tevez, one of the most talented strikers in the world who has been chased for more than a year by Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal, looks likely to sign for -- wait for it -- West Ham United this afternoon.

If West Ham and Tevez are able to confirm personal terms, this could be the biggest and most surprising signing ever by an English team. Tevez is the type of bulky striker who could do extremely well in the physical EPL. And Tevez's finishing is absolutely clinical.

At the same time, West Ham will also likely sign defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano -- another Argentine. Both Mascherano and Tevez would be loan signings for 2006, which would undoubtedly transform the Hammers into a very dangerous side in the Premiership and UEFA Cup.

Mascherano, also, had been a target of Man United as a replacement for Roy Keane.

These two signings, if they go through, could have huge ramifications on the Premier League. Rather than be a four horse race between Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United for the title, the Hammers may be able to mount a challenge and get results against the top four, making it more of an open league than ever before.

Stay tuned to the EPL Talk Blog for updates on the latest signings, or visit the BBC page at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/5235160.stm for more breaking news.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:03 PM 4 Comments Links to this post

The Business of Football: Inside One Premiership Club

Everything is not smelling like roses in English football. While we've been reporting the past couple of weeks about the number of empty seats at Premiership grounds, the British press -- surprisingly -- has neglected the topic focusing instead on the transfer merry-go-round.

So, for football fans alike -- especially those that are Newcastle United ones -- it's interesting to read a web site called NUFC Finances. While not new, it's one of those sites you wish every football club had one. Exhaustive research, fascinating numbers and revealing content. It gives you a rare glimpse into the transactions of a football club and asks some very pointed questions about what Newcastle is doing with the money plucked from its fans.

Some of the interesting statistics and revelations on the site include:

The breakdown of revenue since the 1997-98 season showing how much money comes from shirts, TV, sponsorship, gate receipts and even catering,
Gate receipts for Newcastle have almost doubled from 2000 to 2005,
How much the board members are making in terms of salaries,
Profits and losses, and much more.

While the site design is low-tech, the information makes for fascinating reading. Just click on the links near the top of the page and prepare to be amazed.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 3:21 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Pompey On Verge of Signing Ghana Captain

While the newspapers are abuzz with transfer speculation surrounding Carlos Tevez, David Trezeguet, Ashley Cole and others, it was refreshing to read an article in this morning's Independent Newspaper about Portsmouth trying to sign Ghana captain and midfielder Stephen Appiah.

It's been an amazing week for Pompey after they four nil away win against Middlesbrough. And now, the potential signing of Appiah will only send their fans over the moon.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:46 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Interview with Former QPR Player Gary Richards

Gary Richards, the former QPR, Wycombe and Marlow Town player -- and now co-host of The 2 G's radio show -- will be interviewed Thursday afternoon for an upcoming episode of the EPL Talk Podcast.

If you have any specific questions you'd like me to ask him, please post them below by clicking the 'Comments' link.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:40 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

EPL Talk Magazine: Your Feedback

The results of the first EPL Talk Magazine survey are in, and they make interesting reading. Here's what you told us:

67% of you never miss an issue, while 33% have read one of the two issues.
You enjoy the articles in the magazine. 67% of you rated them 'Above Average,' 25% said 'Excellent,' and 8% said 'Average.'
Asked whether you felt the PDF format was user-friendly or not, here's how you rated it: 42% of you said the format was 'Above Average,' 33% said 'Excellent,' 17% said 'Average' and 8% said 'Poor.'
Regarding how many of the articles you read in each issue of EPL Talk Magazine, 50% of you said 'every article,' 41% said 'most of them,' and 8% said 'only a select few' of the articles.
Lastly, 67% of you preferred to keep the magazine in its current format, while 33% preferred to have the articles placed on the EPL Talk Blog instead.

Thanks for your valuable input. Based on the results of the survey, we'll definitely continue the EPL Talk Magazine as the majority of you love what you've seen.

In the meantime, we sent one final magazine survey to the readers of the magazine (well, those who have opted in to be notified when the new magazine issues become available). Once we have those replies in, we'll share the results with you and will let you know what's in store for the EPL Talk Magazine in the future.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:12 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

English Premier League What Transfer Talk

The Thursday transfer deadline is approaching for the Premiership, so the wheeling and dealing is starting to pick up in speed. Here are just a few of the transfers that have been made, or are in the final stages of being completed:

Petrov (from Celtic to Aston Villa)
Robert Huth (Chelsea to Middlesbrough)
Mido (Roma to Spurs)
Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid to Middlesbrough)
Pascal Chimbonda (Wigan to Spurs)
Steed Malbranque (Fulham to Spurs)

What are your thoughts on these signings? Can Wigan and Fulham cope with these losses? Tell us your opinion by clicking on the 'Comments' link below.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:02 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Monday, August 28, 2006

Best Selection of Premiership Jerseys

We've made a couple of important updates to the EPL Talk web site that we'd like to let you know about.

First, we've added many of the new jerseys for the 2006/2007 Premiership season. Just go to the 'My Team' section on the right hand side of the page, hover your mouse over the English Premier League team names and you'll see links to the home, away and third shirts for each of the 20 teams.

You can search far and wide across the internet, but -- as far as we know -- we're the only site that has such a complete listing of jerseys available for sale. Just added are the new Manchester United away shirt (white), Liverpool's away top (yellow) and their third strip (white).

Second, we recently added a 'Broadband' tab to the 'What's On' section of the homepage. So now, from the homepage, you can see the upcoming listings of football on TV, radio and broadband. The broadband listings will include links, right now, to matches on Setanta Broadband (mostly Championship League matches), but we're planning ahead for the future when we anticipate Premiership matches will be legally available to broadband users in North America.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 8:34 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Empty Seats at Premiership Matches Continue

While Middlesbrough's defence was as porous tonight as their security (two fans ran across the field in fancy dress costumes during the second half), the match at Riverside Stadium revealed another disturbing fact: All those empty seats.

We broached the topic last week after Boro's home match against Chelsea. But in that match and others, the commentators have dismissed the low crowds as being a result of people still on holiday. Although the holiday claims may sound plausible, I don't believe them for a second.

While not scientific, I reviewed Boro's home attendances for the beginning of last season and compared them to now. Here's what I discovered:

When Boro lost 3-0 at home against Charlton on August 28, 2005, the attendance was 26,206. Tonight's attendance was 24,834. The capacity of Riverside Stadium is 35,100. Boro's attendance for the Chelsea match last week was 29,198.

So attendances are down for Boro and there are more empty seats than last year. But the issue is not just at Middlesbrough. Throughout the Premiership, fans are voting with their feet regarding the high priced tickets for matches.

While the prices are high for Middlesbrough fans ($45 to $60), how does that compare with a ticket to a NFL game? To go see the Miami Dolphins game against Buffalo Bills in September, tickets run anywhere from $39 to $250 (with $39 being in the nosebleed section, something Boro fans don't have to worry about). Of course, there are far fewer NFL matches during a season, but the comparison is interesting nonetheless.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:59 PM 5 Comments Links to this post

EPL Talk Fantasy Football League: Top 5

The lead at the top of the table is widening in the EPL Talk Fantasy Football League. With 59 teams competing, here's the current top five teams:

1. Rockfish United (David Griffith) 197 pts
2. Gratefullawyer (Wayne Novick) 189 pts
3. Dragons (CJ Pedler) 172 pts
4. Wildwood United (Jaime Gutierrez) 167 pts
5. Bloody Yanks (Jeremy Lay) 165 pts

The secret to Rockfish United's success? Louis Saha, who has already scored 56 points alone.

If you'd like to sign up for free, visit this page for more information.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:51 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Argentina v Brazil on GolTV

This Sunday at 11am ET, GolTV will be showing the Argentina versus Brazil friendly scheduled to be played at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium.

More info about GolTV is at http://www.goltv.tv

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 6:08 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

English Premier League TV: By The Numbers

This isn't the real league table below, but it is the table according to the number of times the teams have been shown on Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports combined so far this season.

Overall
Man United 3
Chelsea 3
Spurs 3
Middlesbrough 3
West Ham 3
Charlton 3
Newcastle 2
Wigan 2
Bolton 2
Reading 2
Man City 2
Watford 2
Arsenal 2
Sheffield United 2
Liverpool 2
Aston Villa 2
Everton 1
Fulham 1
Blackburn 1
Portsmouth 1

And if you're interested in a breakdown of the number of times your team has been on Fox Soccer Channel versus Setanta, here are those numbers.

Setanta
Man United 3
Charlton 3
Liverpool 2
Sheffield United 2
Aston Villa 2
West Ham 2
Arsenal 1
Fulham 1
Spurs 1
Watford 1
Bolton 1
Newcastle 1
All other teams 0

Fox Soccer Channel
Chelsea 3
Middlesbrough 3
Wigan 2
Spurs 2
Reading 2
Man City 2
Newcastle 1
Bolton 1
Watford 1
West Ham 1
Everton 1
Arsenal 1
Blackburn 1
Portsmouth 1
All other teams 0

Interestingly, in the first 10 days of the Premiership, FSC and Setanta viewers have seen 21 matches (11 on FSC, and 10 on Setanta).

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 4:09 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Win a FREE EPL Talk T-shirt

As mentioned in the EPL Talk Podcast interview with the executive from Fox Soccer Channel, you have two opportunities to win an EPL Talk T-shirt. Even if you're not interested in the T-shirt offer, we still want to hear from you.

(1) The third issue of the EPL Talk Magazine has been delayed. Reason being is that we want to see whether the current format is the most appropriate for the magazine. It's vital that we get your feedback to determine the future and format of this publication. It's been successful thus far, but we want to hear how we can improve it and whether the current format works for you.

Go ahead and answer the survey now. All entries will be entered into a random drawing and one lucky person will receive an EPL Talk T-shirt.

(2) Here's your chance to submit a story and be entered into the contest. If your story is selected, you'll be featured in this Friday's EPL Talk Email Newsletter plus you'll receive your very own EPL Talk T-shirt.

The question I have for you is this: Tell us your first memory of watching the English Premier League, when it was, what you remember of it and why it had such a profound impact on you.

Either send your answer to buzz@epltalk.com or click on the 'Comments' link below and submit your story. Deadline to send in your response is this Thursday.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 3:18 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

EPL Talk Podcast Expanding to 60 Minutes

The results from the EPL Talk Podcast survey are in, and based on your valuable feedback, we'll be making some changes to the only soccer interview show on the Internet. You ask, we listen.

Here's what you told us:

70% of you prefer the podcast to be 60 minutes. 20% of you voted for 30 minutes instead. 10% were new listeners and had no opinion.
Regarding what type of guests you'd like to hear interviewed on the show, fellow football podcasters received 20% of the vote. Top votes went to football journalists (80%), executives from football networks (70%), players (70%), football commentators (60%), and famous musicians who are also football fans (40%).*
Your replies to the open-ended question about the EPL Talk Podcast in general resulted in some interesting comments. "Intro is a bit creepy," commented one person. "Minor technical point, The Gaffer's voice tends to be on much higher volume than that of the guest," said a different listener. Other listeners submitted the following comments:

"Thank god for the EPL Talk Podcast and the Blog. Without them, I may not have been ready to watch all the Premiership matches this weekend";
"I think you're doing a great job with all of this, and the podcast offers great content I can't really get anywhere else as an American. I especially like the email newsletter with the week's TV schedule. Any change of getting an RSS feed of the newsletter?";
"One of my most frequent podcast listens."

So, based on your feedback, we'll be extending the length of the interviews to 40-45 minutes instead of 15-20 minutes, and adding in our reaction to the most recent Premiership matches so that the shows will run approximately 60 minutes.

We'll also try to interview fewer footy podcasters and go after more journalists and experts from the field of football.

The audio we're continuing to improve. Unfortunately most of the interviews are conducted with Skype, so the sound quality isn't perfect. But we're looking into getting additional equipment that will help in the future. And, thanks to the readers suggestion, we've now added a RSS feed for the EPL Talk Email Newsletter so that current subscribers can choose to view it in their RSS reader if they so choose (the link to the RSS feed will be published in this Friday's e-newsletter edition).

Thanks everyone for your feedback! Wayne Novick, meanwhile, is the lucky winner of the EPL Talk T-shirt for being the randomly-selected person out of the pool of survey respondents.

* Results to the survey question about types of guests you'd like to hear allowed survey responders to choice more than one category, hence the reason the percentages don't add up to 100%.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:57 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

The Return of The Guardian's Football Podcast

In terms of World Cup podcasts, the most impressive one in my opinion had to be The Guardian's World Cup Show. The dry comedy of the British came through the podosphere loud and clear, and the range of segments was completely fascinating.

Where else could you find a World Cup podcast with football inspired poetry being read, hearing the account of Guardian reporter Sean Ingle being bit by a dog, the insight from Serie A afficionado James Richardson on Italy's chances, and -- last but not least -- Barry Glendenning and his brilliant wit?

So, it's with wonderful glee that we find out that The Guardian's podcast will be returning starting tomorrow (Tuesday). While the World Cup has left us, the podcast promises to provide us with a weekly report on all things Premiership. Plus content on other European leagues, especially the Champions League.

While we're at it, The Guardian recently launched their Sport Blog. Lots of interesting reading, as always, and one post that caught my attention was a report by Denis Campbell. This is a perfect example of The Guardian's unique coverage. It's a piece on how Manchester City is welcoming the gay community to its matches and how City have taken the bold move of supporting gay rights.

Near the foot of the article, The Guardian mention that only one gay player has ever come out and that was Justin Fashanu who tragically committed suicide. I remember being in Britain in the late 70s and being stunned by Fashanu's goal of the season in 1980 for Norwich City against Liverpool.

The Guardian piece prompted me to read what happened to Fashanu, and unfortunately his story was pretty tragic after such a bright and promising beginning in football.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:20 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

Interview with Fox Soccer Channel executive

The latest episode of the EPL Talk Podcast is now available, featuring an interview with Dermot McQuarrie, one of the top executives at Fox Soccer Channel. During the podcast, we also provide a wrap-up of this past weekend's Premiership action, and there's news about the next podcast episode scheduled for later this week.

Check back on this blog on Monday for a survey to help decide the format for the EPL Talk Magazine, a contest for the next issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter, and information about how you can win your very own EPL Talk T-shirt.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:08 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, August 27, 2006

"Ten, We've Only Got 10 Men..., We've only got 10 Men"

I'm going to do something that very few web sites ever do, and that is ask for your opinion -- but really doing something with the feedback.

I want you to help me decide the fate of the EPL Talk Magazine.

Some of you may have read it, others may have not. But if you have two minutes, I'd like for you to complete a short survey to give me your valuable feedback. I'm really curious to get a better understanding of whether it's something you enjoy or not, and if the PDF format is conducive to reading.

On a related note, I thnk some of you can see that the EPL Talk network is starting to really take off. A lot of it is thanks to you spreading the word on Big Soccer, to ITVN, on Flickr, Stickam and MySpace. It's a huge phenonemom, but realize that all of us are thousands of miles away from each other, around the world. We're thousands of miles away even our own country, America. For example, I'm 60 miles north of Miami.

A perfect example of technology benefitting soccer was today when the EPL Talk chat was a huge success. We had one bloke in Tokyo, one from Australia, several throughout America, me, and many others chatting about the Premiership while the matches were playing live. Some may call it sacrilegous, but with the technology of the Internet and the rising passion for the English Premier League, this is a soccer nirvana right now for Americans.

Sure, there are many people who are upset because of the changes. Some people have Dish, but no Setanta. You may have cable but no Setanta channel. You can't get DirecTV because of many different reasons. I understand where you're coming from, as I'm in the same boat as you. But I just got ITVN switched on and fully functioning today and it's been brilliant. Thankfully my broadband cable speed is back to normal, so I'm able to watch ITVN and FSC at the same time. Topgunners, on the chat board Saturday morning, noticed the split-screen large TV, one half watching Spurs against Everton, while the other side had Watford versus Manchester United.

I don't know about you, but that was the first time I've ever been able to watch two live Premiership matches at the same time. Sure, it takes a new skill to watch two things at the same time, but men are used to that.

Meanwhile, it brings me great pleasure to announce that EPL Talk has signed its first advertising client, which is ITVN. They'll be advertising on the next episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, scheduled for release Sunday night, and featuring an exclusive interview with Dermot McQuarrie, the number two executive at Fox Soccer Channel. The intelligent and experienced Scot discussed the exciting changes at Fox and the future of the network.

The advertising is necessary to help support the cost of running the site (hosting, design costs, programming, public relations, etc) plus my time.

Also, those people who were on the EPL Talk Chat Saturday morning got the exclusive news about two new interviews coming soon to the Podcast. The first is an interview with Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan, who won an amazing European Cup trophy (now the modern-day Champions League) against Roma in the final in Rome, Italy, in 1983-84. The Reds won on penalty kicks when Alan Kennedy scored the final fourth goal.

One year later, in the 1984-85 final, Liverpool and Ronnie Whelan were in the final again, but this time, tragedy struck as the game was secondary to the horror of the 39 dead after a wall collapsed at Heysel Stadium in one of the most darkest days of football.

Sadly again, Whelan was involved in another tragedy when he captained Liverpool on what I would most definitely say was the most horrific day in the history of soccer when 96 were crushed to death during the Hillsborough disaster.

On brighter news, Whelan won more than 15 medals with Liverpool after joining them in 1979 and making his debut in 1981. Suffice to say, it was a pleasure speaking to him and I enjoyed his stories about the "Boot Room" at Liverpool and how they learned to play their passing style of play they were so famous for in the late 70s and early 80s. That interview will be released probably mid-week.

The other piece of news is that we have scheduled an interview with the creator of the hilarious Manchester Buccaneers blog and author of the book of the same title. The author used to work for SkySports and was also a ghostwriter for many of the top pundits in England. If you have questions you want asked, please post them here.

Oh yeah, and there's one more interview coming soon, except this is a surprise guest right now. He's confirmed, but I just want to re-confirm before I announce the news between Monday and Wednesday. I'll update the blog as soon as I know.

Thanks everyone for your support. I'll post the magazine survey online on Sunday or Monday for your feedback.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:07 AM 4 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Sign Petition to have Dish Add Setanta

EPL Talk reader Magnus Decker wants you to sign this petition to encourage the Dish Network to add Setanta Sports to their network.

"After completing the petition, Dish Network subscribers should email customer service at feedback@customermail.dishnetwork.com, or e-mail their CEO at david.laslo@echostar.com and cc: Setanta Sports at sschannel@setanta.com," says Decker.

Go ahead and help him and other soccer fans out there that are missing all of those Premiership matches being aired on Setanta Sports.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:51 PM 5 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 25, 2006

Participate in Premiership Online Chat

It's going to be another exciting weekend in the Premiership. Fulham and Charlton both need to get three points to escape the bottom. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will be looking to gain maximum points to make the most of Chelsea's midweek faltering, while Wigan versus Reading promises to be an entertaining affair.

To stay on top of all of the coverage, you're invited to participate in the EPL Talk online chat on Saturday. Starting at 7:30am ET and continuing throughout the day until 7pm ET, you can chat with other EPL fans before, during and after the matches. Plus, I'll have the webcam switched on so you can see me.

To participate, go to the EPL Talk homepage and click on the Stickam player near the center of the page.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:16 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Draw for Next Round of Champions League

Group A: Barcelona, Chelsea, Werder Bremen, Levski Sofia.
Group B: Internazionale, Bayern Munich, Sporting Lisbon, Spartak Moscow.
Group C: Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux, Galatasaray.
Group D: Valencia, Roma, Olympiakos, Shakhtar Donetsk.
Group E: Real Madrid, Lyon, Steaua Bucharest, Dynamo Kiev.
Group F: Manchester United, Celtic, Benfica, FC Copenhagen.
Group G: Arsenal, Porto, CSKA Moscow, FC Hamburg.
Group H: AC Milan, Lille, AEK Athens, Anderlecht.

Thoughts?

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:00 PM 11 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Reds Legend Speaking in Orlando

Ronnie Whelan, the Liverpool and Republic of Ireland legend, will be the guest of honor at The Pub, near Orlando, Florida, this Friday, August 25th.

If you're interested in learning more details, contact Frank at (863) 424-4242.

Breaking news: We~~'re~~ interview~~ing~~ed Ronnie tonight for a future episode of the EPL Talk Podcast. ~~If you have any questions you'd like us to ask, please post them here by clicking the 'Comments' link below.~~ -- Editor's note: Listen to the EPL Talk Podcast next week for the Ronnie Whelan interview.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:01 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Boro Shocker Over Chelsea

Tonight's shock 2-1 win for Middlesbrough against Chelsea has turned the Premiership upside down in just the first week.

It was an unusual match because Boro was the better side in the first 15 minutes, but Chelsea scored against the run of play through Shevchenko. With Chelsea leading 1-0 for most of the match, the Blues seemed to take their foot of the gas and failed to put the match out of Boro's reach.

Chelsea's poor marking was the culprit for Boro's first goal, and Viduka's injury time winner was cruel justice for Chelsea, who deserved a draw in this match after earlier hitting the post and forcing Schwarzer into several world-class saves.

The question for you is, who will be the first team to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 2004?

What was unbelieveable, though, were the large number of empty seats in the Riverside Stadium tonight. The attendance was a mere 29,198 inside a ground with a 35,100 capacity meaning that more than 15% of the seats were empty. Of course, some of those seats would have been empty to segregate the Chelsea fans, but still -- if Boro can't sell out their home ground against Chelsea, that's sad. Ticket prices for the match, meanwhile, ranged from $45 to $60.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:43 PM 7 Comments Links to this post

Upcoming Interviews from the EPL Talk Podcast

Another EPL Talk Podcast episode is in the can. Episode 22 will be released this Sunday night featuring an interview with a top executive from Fox Soccer Channel. To find out who it is, and to get a preview of what you'll hear, be sure to read this Friday morning's edition of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter -- available as a free subscription.

Thanks everyone for submitting your questions. I had a chance to ask many of them -- including questions about HDTV, Setanta Sports, broadband and much more. Your input is essential in making sure all the important questions are answered!

In the next few weeks, we'll be interviewing several fascinating and well-known celebrities such as football authors, and many more. I won't let the "cat out of the bag" until the interviews are confirmed.

In the meantime, click on the 'comments' link below and let us know what personalities you'd like to see interviewed on the EPL Talk Podcast (remember that it has to be focused on the English Premier League).

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:16 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Your Stories of How You Became a Football Fan

Here's an excellent chance to get your name published, win a free T-shirt and tell us your true story of how you became a fan of your favorite team. Just click on the 'comments' link below and tell us your story, or e-mail it to thegaffer@epltalk.com

The winning story will be published in this Friday morning's edition of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter and the winner will receive a brand spanking new EPL Talk T-shirt.

Here's my story of how I became a supporter of my favorite team. Be sure to share yours.

It was the 21st of December, 1979. I was just 10 years old, living in the remote countryside of Wales a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of America.

That night, one of my best friends Neil invited me to attend a football match along with his father. Little did I know that the experience would change my life.

It was a division two match, which would now be considered the equivalent of the Championship League, between Swansea City and Orient. Swansea was approximately 25 miles away, so we set off by car for the midweek match.

Approaching Swansea's antiquated Vetch Field ground, my senses were bombarded with the new sights, sounds and smells. The tall floodlight pylons pointing the way to the ground. The approach to the turnstiles where grubby old men collected money and allowed entry to the throngs of people. Walking up the steep embankment of the North Bank, hearing the fans chanting new songs I've never heard before and there, suddenly, I saw the expanse of the ground, the green pitch shining from the glare of the floodlights and the thousands of fans dotted around the concrete terracing.

The football that night, I remember, was pretty drab. Swansea lost one-nil to a equally poor side. However, the match and the whole experience was enough to make a permanent impression on me and I'll never forget the night for the rest of my life.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:49 PM 4 Comments Links to this post

Review of Fox Football Fone-In

The third season of Steven Cohen and Nick Geber's football TV talk show on Fox Soccer Channel launched this evening. And their show, previously known as Fox Football Friday and now renamed Fox Football Fone-In, is their best version yet.

First, the two hour timeslot is sufficient time to allow Cohen and Geber plenty of time to discuss the hot football topics without rushing through topics such as they did in previous seasons where the show was just 60 minutes. This season's format definitely fits their style of banter.

Second, the production value of the show was far superior to previous seasons. The camera angles were spot on, the split-screen techniques were extremely professional and the set fits the character of the show perfectly, looking more like an expensive ESPN set than something from the thrifty Fox.

Third, the high energy level was maintained throughout the show -- which is sometimes hard to do, especially for two straight hours. As usual, Geber and Cohen were irreverant.

The only criticism I have for the show is that it ended up being too MLS-centric. Let's hope that future episodes will delve deeper into the world's most popular sports league -- the English Premier League.

Fox Football Fone-In airs every Tuesday night at 8pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:00 PM 6 Comments Links to this post

Depression and Elation in the English Premier League

I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick of the whole Ashley Cole (and now William Gallas) saga. Arsenal has the slight advantage in terms of negotiating power because they know Chelsea has been trying to sign Cole for more than a year now. However, if he stays at Arsenal, Wenger knows he's not going to get the best of Cole because the left back's heart won't be in it.

What it illustrates to me, more so, is the level of competitiveness and tension between Arsenal and Chelsea. No one wants to give up power, especially to one of their arch-rivals.

At this rate, I can see the transfer saga dragging on until next week when the transfer window closes.

In the meantime, on to more positive news, Newcastle has agreed to sign Obafemi Martins from Inter Milan. It's now up to the player and agent to agree terms and the transfer will then be complete. If the signing goes through, which looks very likely, United will have their replacement for Alan Shearer. Except a huge turnout at St James's Park shortly for the unveiling of the star striker.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:33 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Monday, August 21, 2006

EPL Talk Fantasy Football League Standings

It's been a challenging weekend for some Premiership teams the past couple of days, while other clubs breezed through their matches. The same is true for the EPL Talk Fantasy Football League.

Here are the top 5 standings as of this morning:

Rockfish United (David Griffith) 87 points
Gratefullawyer (Wayne Novick) 83 points
TN Beerdrinkers (Jeff Whitsitt) 72 points
Dragons (CJ Pedler) 68 points
Yantai FC (Michael Trubey) 67 points

I, The Gaffer, am in 11th place meanwhile out of 38 teams in the league.

There's still plenty of time to join the free Premiership fantasy league and to catch up. Go here for more information.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:46 AM 4 Comments Links to this post

Interview with "A Game of Two Halves" Podcasters

Episode 21 of the EPL Talk Podcast was released today, featuring a slightly new format. First, we have an interview with Chris Knowles and Mark Hesketh from "A Game Of Two Halves" podcast. During the interview, the two lads living in Australia discuss several topics including the future of football podcasts, World Cup experiences, why they started their podcast, what they think of Americans who are into the Premiership, and what it's like to watch the English Premier League in Australia. Their web site, meanwhile, is at http://www.agameoftwohalves.com

Second, we include our thoughts and opinions from this past weekend's Premiership matches.

And third, we give you two chances to win an EPL Talk T-shirt. Listen to the interview now.

In the meantime, if you'd like to enter the EPL Talk Podcast survey, to give your valuable feedback and enter to win a chance to get a FREE EPL Talk T-shirt, take the 2-minute survey right now by clicking this link. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Lastly, if you have a question that you'd like an executive from Fox Soccer Channel answer, be sure to go ahead and post your questions here. EPL Talk is scheduled to interview FSC for the next EPL Talk Podcast episode.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:27 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Historic Day for Premiership in U.S.

Well, we had to wait 104 days for it, but the start of the Premiership season has come and gone. Depending on how you experienced it, it may have felt more exhausting for you than some of the lads on the pitch. More than 12 hours of Premiership football in one day is history in the making in the United States.

Now that the Premiership season has kicked off, there's plenty of activity at EPL Talk. Here are just a few of the most important updates:

Day one of the ITVN experience didn't go so well for me. While I received several emails and read many blog posts here about soccer fans enjoying good quality video, mine was a different story. It appears that my cable provider, Adelphia (who recently went bankrupt and were taken over by Comcast), is throttling my bandwidth so I'm unable to get a buffer-free experience with ITVN. It doesn't appear to be the IPTV company's fault, but it's frustrating nonetheless.
While I was unable to watch the Sheffield United against Liverpool match, I was soon on top of all of the minute-by-minute action after I logged on to the EPLTalk homepage and participated in a live online chat with a dozen fans from around the country. Leicester1, Gratefullawyer, ChadBunz, Cool_Pharaoh, bcjohn, Yannick and several others joined in the chat. Keep on checking the EPL Talk homepage on Saturdays if you want to check it out while you watch the matches.
The next episode of the EPL Talk Podcast will be available tomorrow (Sunday) night. For those of you who have had the pleasure of listening to the "A Game of Two Halves" podcast, you'll appreciate the interview with Mark Hesketh and Chris Knowles from Australia. For those of you who have never listened to their podcast, give a listen to the interview with them and I'll introduce you to the two fascinating blokes who are funny, genuine and extremely listenable.
The link to the 2005 Champions League photographs from Robert Halton in this week's issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter didn't work unfortunately. But, no worries, here's the correct link. Check out the photo of former Liverpool defender Pellegrino looking like the living dead, and the Liverpool fan climbing the tree.
The Bloody Yanks, managed by EPL Talk reader Jeremy Lay, is currently in first place in the EPL Talk fantasy football league. Feel free to sign up today if you haven't done so already. It's not too late, and it's free to join. After tomorrow's matches are over, I'll publish the top 5.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 8:03 PM 10 Comments Links to this post

Opening Day Surprises in English Premiership

I'm glad I'm not a betting man. Otherwise, I would have lost some serious money today. Match by match, I expected Liverpool to cruise to victory against Sheffield United. I thought Arsenal would have convincingly defeated Villa. I expected Newcastle and Wigan to draw, and was convinced that Spurs would get an important away win against Bolton.

The list goes on and on. Other than West Ham against Charlton, and Everton versus Watford, I was surprised at the results.

What do you think this says about the Premiership? Was this purely a blip for the major teams, or did the results not accurately represent the play on the field?

What was your opinion of the Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta coverage?

What were today's highpoints and lowpoints? Click on the comments link below and let us know.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 6:24 PM 11 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 18, 2006

Events Planned This Weekend for Premiership Viewers

Premiership Countdown: 1 Day to Go.

Wherever you are in the world, you're invited to experience the Premiership on the EPL Talk web site. Here are some of the features you'll be interested in:

On the home page, the scores will be updated minute-by-minute. Clicking on the team names under 'Premiership Results' will bring up the live match report.
We'll have the webcam turned on, so you can chat with Premiership fans (and me) from around the world as you keep one eye on the action. Just click on the words 'EPL Talk' right now in the center of the EPL Talk.com homepage to see how it works.
Live Premiership table will automatically be updated as the goals go in.
Don't forget to sign up for the free EPL Talk fantasy league, too, where we'll be offering a prize to the winner at the end of the season. Find out more details here.
Visit this blog so you can read everyone's feedback - in real time - regarding the Premiership, ITVN and all of the weekend's action.
Lastly, watch out for the newest episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, scheduled for release this Sunday night featuring two surprise guests. More details to come this weekend.

Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean that EPL Talk "switches off" like other venues out there. Experience the Premiership with us. We look forward to seeing you online.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:53 PM 27 Comments Links to this post

5 Biggest Surprises During the Premiership Break

It's been 104 days since the 2005/2006 Premiership season ended. In that time, we've consumed the World Cup, watched several friendlies and counted down the days until the August 19th kickoff.

But the Premiership break is more newsworthy for the events that didn't happen:

Where did all the Italians go? After the match-fixing scandal, the anticipated exodus from Italy never happened, and most of the Italians who did leave moved to Inter Milan or Real Madrid. I guess the Italians must really love their mediterranean culture and abhor the cold, wet weather of the British Isles.
No major signings other than Shev and Ballack. Chelsea was smart enough to secure their two big targets before the World Cup commenced. But since that time, there have been very few high profile transfers from overseas. The closest fit would be Didier Sokora and Dimitar Berbatov to Spurs, Benni McCarthy to Blackburn, Dirk Kuyt to Liverpool and Tomas Rosicky to Arsenal.
No World Cup transfer frenzy. After the conclusion of the 2002 World Cup, the transfer market heated up with several big signings at that time especially involving Senegal (Diouf going to Liverpool was one example). This time, the market has been extremely quiet.
Exit stage left. Two of the hottest strikers in England refused to stay with their clubs. Hernan Crespo went to Inter Milan, while Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid. Both of these teams will prosper from those players, while United and Chelsea will rue their decisions.
Martin O'Neill resurfaces. Many thought he was waiting in the wings for the Manchester United slot, but O'Neill surprised many by taking the Aston Villa manager job. I truly believe it's a smart move. It's a club with a lot of history and potential, and a fantastic stadium. And whatever O'Neill does will be an improvement and he'll end up a hero.

Of course, the transfer window stays open until the end of the month, so there may be some last minute wheeling and dealing.

But taking a look at the above list, what surprises did I miss? Click on the 'Comments' link below and let us know.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:31 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Free Premiership Email Newsletter Now Available

The second issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter was sent this morning to subscribers. If you didn't receive a copy, be sure you subscribe today. If you've registered for other EPL Talk e-mails in the past, just enter your e-mail address to bring up your interest categories, and you can then select the weekly e-newsletter.

To see what you're missing, here's what we had in this morning's e-newsletter:

Schedule for all of the Prem matches during the next 7 days on FSC & Setanta,
Surprising information about ticket sales for this weekend's EPL matches,
Web site of the week: The politics and business of football,
The winner of the EPL Talk T-shirt is announced, and we give you another opportunity to win your own shirt,
Links to the latest articles about Premiership TV coverage in the US,
'Did you know' segment on the Premier League stadium that was built in 1892 and is still in use, that has a church just a few yards from the pitch, and once was the venue for an exhibition match between the White Sox and Giants baseball teams,
Plus more.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:21 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 17, 2006

More Premiership On TV in USA Than UK

If you've listened to previous episodes of the EPL Talk Podcast, you may remember that celebs such as Paul Oakenfold, Bobby McMahon and others have mentioned how we in the States get to see more Premiership matches here than in England.

Well, here's the proof. For the first week of the Premiership, these are the matches that will be shown on SkySports, who currently hold the exclusive rights to show the Premier League in England:

Saturday
Sheffield United v Liverpool, 12:45pm BST, live, Sky Sports One
Bolton v Spurs, 5:15pm BST, live, PremPlus (PPV)

Sunday
Man United v Fulham, 1:30pm BST, live, PremPlus (PPV)
Chelsea v Man City, 4pm BST, live, Sky Sports One

Wednesday
Charlton v Man United, 8pm BST, live, Sky Sports Two

And that's it for the first week. Seriously. This means Fox Soccer Channel is showing one more match than Sky (20% more), Setanta is showing one more (20% more), while FSC plus Setanta will provide you seven more matches (140% more) in the first week than UK viewers with Sky and the PPV package called PremPlus.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:57 PM 5 Comments Links to this post

Arsenal Predicted to Win 2006/2007 Premier League

Premiership Countdown: 2 Days to Go.

When the 2006/2007 Premiership season kicks off on Saturday morning, it'll be the first ball kicked since the previous season ended just 104 days earlier.

After weighing up the teams pros and cons, and the other different influencing factors, here's my prediction of how the 2006/2007 table will finish.

1. Arsenal
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Manchester United
6. Newcastle United
7. Blackburn Rovers
8. Wigan Athletic
9. Bolton Wanderers
10. Everton
11. Aston Villa
12. West Ham United
13. Watford
14. Manchester City
15. Reading
16. Portsmouth
17. Middlesbrough
18. Fulham
19. Sheffield United
20. Charlton Athletic

Yes, gasp, I'm predicting that Chelsea will be unable to pick up a third title in the row. Despite the signings of world-class players such as Ballack and Shevchenko, Chelsea has problems which began to surface near the end of last season, and which will plague the team this season too. I'm not writing Chelsea off. I just believe that their two big signings will be more focused on winning the Champions League than the Prem.

My Arsenal prediction will surprise many of you. I feel the new stadium will have a major impact. Plus, many of the Arsenal stars will be buoyed by their World Cup performances (Lehmann, Fabregas, Eboue, Rosicky, Henry, Adebayor, etc). The way Arsenal ended the season, by scraping past Spurs and getting into the Champions League Final will give them a huge confidence boost. The key for the Gunners will be to keep their defence intact.

I may get some hate mail over my Man United prediction. However, I'm convinced that this will be a troublesome season for Sir Alex Ferguson. His signing of Carrick was not the answer the team was looking for. Allowing van Nistelrooy to leave was a mistake. The midfield is still aging, and Rooney is too much of a liability (although he will definitely bag an impressive number of goals). I fear the team is starting to unravel.

With that said, let everyone know what your Premiership predictions are. Just go ahead and click the 'Comments' link below and tell us your top 20!

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:09 PM 35 Comments Links to this post

Setanta Sports Now Available For Canadian Residents

Good news for Canadians who follow the Premiership. I just spoke with ITVN and they've announced that Setanta Sports will be available to Canadian residents via ITVN.

ITVN is currently working on testing the Setanta Sports feed, and it may be live on ITVN as early as Friday evening for both US and Canadian customers.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:56 PM 8 Comments Links to this post

Premiership TV By The Numbers

I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at the number of English Premier League matches shown on TV in the US during the first week of this Premiership season and compare it to a similar week from last year. Here's what I discovered:

20% increase in number of EPL matches shown on Fox Soccer Channel*
66% increase in number of live EPL matches shown on Fox Soccer Channel**
140% increase in number of EPL matches shown on FSC & Setanta combined (compared to just FSC last year)***
233% increase in number of live EPL matches shown on FSC & Setanta combined (compared to just FSC last year)****

*Number has increased from 5 to 6; ** Number has increased from 3 to 5; *** Number has increased from 5 to 12; **** Number has increased from 3 to 10.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:00 AM 4 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Receive a FREE T-shirt from EPL Talk

Just send an e-mail today (Wednesday, August 16th) to buzz@epltalk.com and tell us what the craziest thing you've done in support of your Premiership club. The winning entry will receive an EPL Talk T-shirt and will have their story published in the next issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter, scheduled for release this Friday morning.

Speaking of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter, be sure to subscribe so you can get the weekly guide to the Premiership. Inside this week's issue, we'll include a preview of the weekend's matches (including TV listings), a sneak preview of the EPL Talk Podcast interview, links to the latest news about the coverage of the Prem, and much more.

Subscribe today by going here.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:56 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

The Dilemma of Being a Football Fan in America

Premiership Countdown: 3 Days to Go.

Amazingly, fans who follow a Premiership club will be able to watch 8 out of the 10 matches this opening weekend in the United States on Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports. Most of the matches will be live, except for a select few that are on a short delay.

The two matches we won't see? Everton versus Watford, and Portsmouth against Blackburn.

What'll be interesting this weekend is to understand how your viewing habits of the Premiership change. Last season, we were able to watch it in smaller doses (on Saturdays, a 7:45am ET match, followed by the Noon ET one, and the mid-afternoon tape-delayed match).

Now, though, it's impossible to watch everything due to matches being played at the same time.

For those fans with Fox Soccer Channel only, your Saturday will begin with Newcastle v Wigan at 10am ET, followed by Bolton and Spurs at Noon ET, and finishing with Reading v Middlesbrough at 2:30pm ET.

If you have DirecTV with a Setanta subscription and only one satellite receiver, you're likely to watch the Sheff Utd v Liverpool match at 7:45am ET. But then it gets more complicated. Do you watch the Arsenal v Villa match at 10am ET on Setanta or the Newcastle v Wigan match on FSC? The Noon ET match with Bolton and Spurs will be fine. But then you have to determine which match to watch on tape-delay at 2:30pm ET -- West Ham v Charlton, or Reading v Boro?

ITVN customers will have a tougher challenge. Without being able to record the Setanta Sports matches via their set top box, they'll be encouraged to watch the Setanta matches live and tape the FSC ones.

The question for everyone, at the end of the day, is this: Will you have enough time to watch every minute of the Saturday matches? If you have both Setanta and Fox Soccer Channel, this will amount to, umm, 12 hours of football. And because there are two times on Saturday when matches are being played in parallel on FSC & Setanta, you'd have to watch those matches after the last one concludes (if you taped them).

So if your day begins at 7:45am ET, and you watch ALL of the matches, your football day wouldn't end until 8:30pm ET -- 13 hours of football (and that's if you play all the matches continuously, without taking a break). Will you make a conscious decision to watch only those matches that matter to you, or will you try to take them all in?

Soccer die hard fans, welcome to heaven.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:57 AM 15 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Newcastle Fan Adds Thoughts About Chelsea

Premiership Countdown: 4 Days to Go.

By Bruce Gottesman, EPL Talk correspondent

One thing I noticed about Chelsea's squad: How many central players do they think they can put on the field at once? The key to their season to me is Cole on the left and Wright-Phillips on the right. I wouldn't be surprised if the Blues find themselves battling to keep their Champions League status. Sure, it's better to have wing problems than forward problems, but who's calling Newcastle the best team in the world?

Robben needs to be moved - surely he's just a backup now. I know of a few sides that could use a striker... And what about all those midfielders? How can they all play? Ballack and Lampard have to be the starters, but what about Essien and Makelele? I guess Essien could play the right wing, but what about Wright-Phillips? He must be one of least happy champions around. Mourinho is wasting his career, and he can be Beckham's replacement on the right for England if he can just find playing time. It wouldn't be with Newcastle - Solano's fine by me, and midfield is not a place we need to upgrade.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:37 PM 10 Comments Links to this post

Programming Updates from Setanta

It's been a hectic few weeks for the folks at the North American division of Setanta Sports, based in San Francisco. And it's getting even busier.

Here are the latest developments:

In answer to a question from an EPL Talk reader, most -- if not all -- live Premiership matches shown by Setanta will be replayed again on the channel either same day, or short delay. Important to note is that these games are exclusive to Setanta.
For DirecTV subscribers who don't have Setanta Sports, the satellite provider will be showing a free preview of Setanta this weekend on channel 615 beginning at 6am ET on Saturday through 6am ET on Monday, August 20.
As mentioned in the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Setanta Sports, the channel will be showing Euro 2008 qualifiers. Setanta is currently awaiting confirmation of how many, and the running order of these matches -- including the possibility of showing some of the England away matches.
In the UK and Ireland, Setanta is putting the pressure on Sky Sports. Setanta recently lured Sky Sports presenter Paul Dempsey to Dublin. For those of us in the US, we'll presumably be seeing Dempsey in action during the half-time shows of some of the Premiership matches shown by Setanta. According to The Guardian newspaper, Dempsey could be the first of many acquisitions of Sky talent to Setanta.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:51 PM 3 Comments Links to this post

Latest News from EPL Talk

At EPL Talk, we're already planning ahead for episode 21 of the EPL Talk Podcast, which will feature an exclusive interview with an executive from Fox Soccer Channel (I'll unveil the person's name later this week).

In the meantime, please let me know what questions you'd like me to ask him about Fox Soccer Channel and the Premiership coverage for the 2006/2007 season by posting your comments below!

Also, if you want to win your very own EPL Talk T-shirt, I want to let you in on a secret. In the first issue of the EPL Talk Email Newsletter (released last Friday), you were invited to email us your true story of the craziest thing you've done in the name of the team you support. E-mail your story (100 words or less, by end of day Wednesday) to buzz@epltalk.com. Your chances of being picked as the winner are pretty great since we've only received a handful of stories thus far.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:00 AM 15 Comments Links to this post

Monday, August 14, 2006

ITVN Comes to the Rescue for Soccer Fans

Episode 20 of the EPL Talk Podcast is now available featuring an interview with the executive vice-president from ITVN. During the interview, Joseph Scotti answers all of your questions about how to get Setanta Sports via broadband, discusses how ITVN works, what the quality of the picture will be like and how you can order it before the Premiership starts.

Interestingly, the ITVN executive says it was EPL Talk that convinced them to make their Setanta Sports offering available sooner than they anticipated.

Meanwhile, in September, ITVN will be unveiling even more enhancements and more channel options. Plus, during the interview, Scotti hints at possible additions in the future for soccer fans.

In answer to your questions, ITVN does not include the ability to support the use of digital video recording (a la Tivo). Although it can be done, ITVN does not recommend it.

In the meantime, ITVN's customer service can answer your technical questions at 818-591-4186. And if you're ready to order ITVN so you can get the set top box delivered before the Premiership starts, you can call toll-free 866-988-4988 between the hours of 11am-11pm ET (the hours will be expanded beginning September 1). Or, even better, you can order it online right now from the ITVN web site at https://secure.itvn.com/tour/04/buy.html

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:41 PM 9 Comments Links to this post

ITVN Announces Setanta Sports Availability

Just completed an interview this afternoon with an executive from ITVN, which will be made available tonight as the next episode from the EPL Talk Podcast.

You'll be hear the exclusive news, find out how you can order now, and much more. I'll include a post on the blog as soon as it's available this evening.

BTW, thanks everyone for your questions. I tried to include as many of them as I could.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:10 PM 24 Comments Links to this post

Reflections from the Community Shield Match

Premiership Countdown: 5 Days to Go.

The season is upon us, and what a terrific Community Shield it was.

While not the best classic, it reminded me of the reasons why we love English football so much. Here are just a few reasons (and why I can't wait for the Premiership season to officially kick off on Saturday):

The crowd. From the moment the match kicked off, the Liverpool and Chelsea fans were in full voice which accentuated the match for those of us watching on TV from home. Where else can you get fans that add so much energy to the game? In contrast, the fans from the MLS All-Star match against Chelsea were practically silent during the match. And even 93,000+ fans at the Barcelona v Guadalajara were practically silent.
The commentator. It was so good to hear Peter Brackley's voice instead of the imbeciles from ESPN/ABC (Dave O'Brien, Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, the list goes on). Instead of distracting the audience from the match, Brackley pulled us in and made the match even more enjoyable.
The pace. Especially during the first half, the match was played at a blistering speed. Riise's goal was a perfect example of how fast the Premiership is. How many World Cup games did we see this past month played at the same frenetic pace? Far too few.
The skill. Whether it was Kalou's trickery on the right wing, Luis Garcia's flicks, Bolo Zenden commanding the midfield or excellent saves from Cudicini, the match had plenty of skill on display. Sure, there were patches where it was getting boring, but the majority of the match was played at a very high level.

What did I miss? What were your thoughts watching the Community Shield and your personal highlights?

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:28 AM 8 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Premiership Updates from EPL Talk

Premiership Countdown: 6 Days to Go.

Just a few quick notes from EPL Talk central:

No EPL Talk Podcast today. We should have one available tomorrow night with an exclusive interview with an executive from the IPTV company we've been talking about. More details to come on that tomorrow, so stay tuned to this blog.
EPL Talk Email Newsletter a success. The first issue was released Friday, and we've been receiving some great feedback. Some say it's the best designed football newsletter out there. In the debut issue, we have the history of the Community Shield, a preview of today's Liverpool v Chelsea match, news about Setanta and FSC's Premiership schedule, a contest to win an EPL Talk T-shirt, a link to the best football web site of the week, and much more. Subscribe today from the homepage of EPLTalk.com.
Next issue of the EPL Talk Magazine. The third issue of the EPL Talk Magazine should be released within the next 7 days with fascinating articles that take you inside the Premier League. Be sure to subscribe today at http://www.EPLTalk.com/text/newsletter.asp so we'll notify you as soon as the magazine becomes available.

Keep on visiting the blog for the latest Premiership news, and latest updates from EPL Talk. Have a great rest of the weekend.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:29 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 11, 2006

Setanta Sports Releases Official EPL Schedule

This morning, Setanta officially released their schedule of Premiership matches for now through October 28. The matches highlighted in bold below are the new ones we didn't know about before (see the complete list from EPL Talk here, which also includes Oct. 29th through Dec. 23rd).

Saturday, Aug 19th, 7:30am; Sheffield United v Liverpool
Saturday, Aug 19th, 9:30am; Arsenal v Aston Villa
Saturday, Aug 19th, 2:30pm; West Ham v Charlton [tape-delayed]
Sunday, Aug 20th, 8:30am; Man United v Fulham
Tuesday, Aug 22nd, 3pm; Spurs v Sheffield United
Wednesday, Aug 23rd, 3pm; Charlton v Man United
Saturday, Aug 26th, 7:30am; Liverpool v West Ham
Saturday, Aug 26th, 10am; Watford v Man United
Saturday, Aug 26th, 5pm; Charlton v Bolton [tape-delayed]
Sunday, Aug 27, 9am; Aston Villa v Newcastle
Saturday, Sept 9, 7:30am; Everton v Liverpool
Saturday, Sept 9, 10am; Chelsea v Charlton
Saturday, Sept 9, 4pm; Newcastle v Fulham [tape-delayed]
Saturday, Sept 16, 7:30am; Charlton v Portsmouth
Saturday, Sept 16, 10am; Everton v Wigan
Saturday, Sept 16, 10am; Sheff Utd v Reading [DirecTV channel 670 only]
Sunday, Sept 17, 8:30am; Chelsea v Liverpool
Wednesday, Sept 20, 3pm; Liverpool v Newcastle
Saturday, Sept 23, 7:30am; Liverpool v Spurs
Saturday, Sept 23, 10am; Fulham v Chelsea
Saturday, Sept 23, 10am; Man City v West Ham [DirecTV channel 670 only]
Saturday, Sept 30, 7:30am; Bolton v Liverpool
Saturday, Sept 30, 10am; Man United v Newcastle
Saturday, Sept 30, 10am; Charlton v Arsenal [DirecTV channel 670 only]
Sunday, Oct 1, 9am; West Ham v Reading
Saturday, Oct 14, 7:30am; Wigan v Man United
Saturday, Oct 14, 10am; Liverpool v Blackburn
Saturday, Oct 14, 10am; Aston Villa v Spurs [DirecTV channel 670 only]
Saturday, Oct 21, 8am; Spurs v West Ham
Saturday, Oct 21, 8am; Wigan v Man City [DirecTV channel 670 only]
Saturday, Oct 21, 10am; Middlesbrough v Newcastle
Sunday, Oct 22, 8am; Man United v Liverpool
Saturday, Oct 28, 7:30am; Sheff Utd v Chelsea
Saturday, Oct 28, 10am; Bolton v Man United
Saturday, Oct 28, 10am; Arsenal v Everton [DirecTV channel 670 only]

Note: DirecTV's channel 670, called Setanta Extra, is available at no additional cost only to DirecTV subscribers and will not be made available to ITVN viewers.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:34 PM 9 Comments Links to this post

Steve McClaren Drops Beckham from England Squad

Premiership Countdown: 8 Days to Go.

New England manager Steve McClaren has done more in 11 days than Sven Goran Eriksson did in 11 months.

Every decision he's made thus far has been perfect. Consider what he is done in such a short amount of time:

Dropped Beckham. The whole world knew it, especially England fans, but Beckham has been long past his best. Other than being a free-kick expert, his output has been poor for the England side. Sure, we'll miss him, but McClaren has made a giant leap forward with this decision.
Adding Terry Venables. Venables is one of those likeable characters with huge amounts of experience that players respect. As long as Venables doesn't open his mouth too much and says something he would regret, Terry Venables.
Dropping Walcott to U-21 squad. Enough said.
Adding Ashton to the senior squad. I'm a huge admirer of Dean Ashton and a firm believer that he's going to be a success on the international stage. He's a fantastic instinct and clinical finish. He may need a few international matches to hit his stride, but this is a very positive step for McClaren.
Opening up the England training sessions. Sven limited press access to his practice sessions, which created tension between the FA and English tabloid press. McClaren's decision to open up the training sessions is a huge PR coup.
Appointed John Terry captain. Although I'm a huge admirer of Steven Gerrard, I believe McClaren made the right choice with Terry by allowing the Chelsea defender to lead from the back.

What are your thoughts on the decision to drop Beckham?

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 8:26 AM 7 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Hope Springs Eternal for Newcastle United Fans

Premiership Countdown: 9 Days to Go.

By Bruce Gottesman, EPL Talk correspondent

I've followed Newcastle United since early in the 2001-2 season. A couple of things happened at that time which led to that:

MLS contracted the Miami Fusion. I was a season ticket holder, and have not watched more than a few minutes of MLS play since then.
I moved to Margate, Florida, which had Fox Sports World. That meant I could follow the EPL.

Since I had no club allegiance, I got to choose as a kind of free agent. Sure, I could go with Man U like everybody else in the world. My favorite player used to be Cantona, but he doesn't play for them anymore. I like Bergkamp, too, but that's also pretty cliche. I learned that Ray Hudson, former Striker player and Fusion manager, is from Newcastle and played for them. And Alan Shearer is The Man. I checked out the fan site NUFC.com, which was awesome - the hosts there are great. So I chose the Black and Whites. About 2 months in I realized I had chosen the EPL equivalent of the Chicago Cubs. Oh, well...

It's been a very unusual 5 years. From Uncle Bobby and a Champions League place to 14th two years ago to the well-deserved sacking of Souness to the current squad under Glenn Roeder, it's been a soap opera.

Now on to the current season. Newcastle's season started early with a place in the Intertoto Cup. After a rusty opener, they've won two straight now, including tonight's win at Ventspils in Latvia. The lineup today looked like this:

Shay Given
Stephen Carr Titus Bramble Craig Moore Celestine Babayato
Nicky Butt
Nolberto Solano Scott Parker Emre Damien Duff
Shola Ameobi

Goalkeeper: There may be keepers on the same level as Shay Given, but you won't find anybody better. The backup Steve Harper isn't a bad choice either, but Given is truly great.

Defense: A serious problem since I've been watching Newcastle. Maybe Bramble has figured out how to play, as his late-season form last Spring was a considerable step up from being considered the worst player in the league by many. They have some useful players in the back now, with Peter Ramage, Steve Taylor, and Craig Moore. They probably won't have Babayaro for too much longer, as he's rumored to be sent out for more cash to spend on a forward (more on that in a bit).

Midfield: The strength of the team. You won't find too many sides in the world to compare with the starting 4 of Duff, Emre, Parker and Solano and the strength of the bench. All four can make plays and score. Butt is being used as a fifth defender, but the club can also use attacking players in Charles N'Zogbia on the left, Kieron Dyer and James Milner.

Forward: It looked like the torch was being passed from retiring legend Alan Shearer to new superstar Michael Owen. Unfortunately, Owen's a bit brittle, and he hurt himself this Summer again (probably not news to anyone reading this). His return this season is extremely doubtful. With Shearer's retirement - though with his knee injury late last year he would have missed a lot of time too - the team has only 2 forwards on the roster - Shola Ameobi and Alberto Luque. But the latter has been out of favor from the moment he got here, which leaves Ameobi as the sole striker in the current lineup. Is another forward coming in? Who knows:

Transfers: Much talk about transfers has amounted to nothing (nowt in Newcastle-speak) other than Damien Duff, who plays left wing. As much as I like him, it's strange to bring him to a club that already had N'zogbia and Milner on the left side. It's almost like the US World Cup squad... but I digress. There has been talk of Dirk Kuyt to come in alongside Shola. Thomas Gravesen is rumored to be on his way from Real Madrid. Other than that, it's hard to pin anything down. The Intertoto win and another advancement in the UEFA Cup should help bring another forward to the northeast.

Outlook: It's hard to see where this club can compete regularly with Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal. The best they can hope for, presumably, is to stay close enough to those fourth and finish in UEFA Cup qualification. It's just too much to ask for a team that may have trouble scoring goals and at the same time has a recent history of spotty defending. But at least the horror story that was the Souness era is fading quickly, and there's no reason to think Roeder can't build this club back to where the 52,000-odd fans at ever Saint James' Park match think they belong.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:40 PM 19 Comments Links to this post

Wanted: Fans Attending Premiership Matches

If you're planning on attending one or more Premiership matches this upcoming season, and you have a mobile/cellular phone with a camera feature (or a digital camera), EPL Talk wants to hear from you.

Just e-mail us at thegaffer@epltalk.com and we'll give you more details!

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:21 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

IPTV and Setanta Sports: The Inside Scoop

From the minute that the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Setanta Sports premiered on Friday, the message boards and blogs on the internet have been a buzzing with soccer fans talking about IPTV and whether it's a suitable alternative for them if they can't (or don't want to) sign up with DirecTV in order to watch the Premiership matches on Setanta.

Although an announcement has yet to be made official, we can tell you that the IPTV company is Interactive Television Networks (ITVN). As soon as the news breaks, we'll let you know. But this is what we know thus far:

ITVN launched more than 18 months ago and delivers high-quality video over the internet via a device, reportedly no bigger than a cigar box. According to PC Magazine, the set top box is $100 but it's possible, based on ITVN's promotions in the past, that they may offer the set top box for free with a 12-month subscription to Setanta. However, we won't know whether this will happen until we hear an official announcement from ITVN and Setanta.

At the Digital Life tradeshow in 2005, ITVN won PC Magazine's Innovator Award. PC Mag called it "the most innovative" and mentioned that "the future of TV is broadband and ITVN is right at the center of the revolution." Lastly, PC Magazine says this about ITVN: "Of all the IP-based TV technologies out there, this one remains the simplest and in some ways the most effective."

So, from what I can gather, the technology seems sound. Now let's just see what ITVN and Setanta offers us, and if they can get the service set up as soon as possible before the Premiership season kicks off in 10 days.

While we wait, please post your questions here for ITVN and I'll see if I can schedule an interview with an ITVN executive to get them answered for you.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:01 PM 35 Comments Links to this post

Latest TV Listings for FSC and Setanta Sports

Premiership Countdown: 10 Days to Go.

We now know what mid-week matches will be shown by Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports during the first week of the Premiership season. With both Setanta and FSC, we now have the opportunity to watch an amazing 11 Premiership matches the first week (compared with an average of 5-6 last season, not including PPV matches).

Fox has also made a change to the start-time of the "Super Saturday +" show. Instead of starting at 2:30pm ET, it's now been moved to 4:30pm ET, which means that the 3pm tape-delayed matches on Saturday will now begin at 2:15pm ET. The first Saturday tape-delayed match to start at 2:15pm is Reading versus Middlesbrough.

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2:30pm ET (FSC):
Watford vs West Ham United

Tuesday, August 22nd, 3pm ET (Setanta):
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sheffield United

Wednesday, August 23rd, 3pm ET (Setanta):
Charlton Athletic vs Manchester United

Wednesday, August 23rd, 3pm ET (FSC):
Middlesbrough vs Chelsea

There's been quite a lot of criticism aimed at Fox recently, but Fox Soccer Channel will be showing more Premiership matches this season than last. They'll be showing one tape-delayed match instead of two this season. And because Fox made the deal with Setanta, we now have many more Premiership matches to watch this season (if we can find a way to subscribe to Setanta for those of us who don't have satellite).

If Fox hadn't signed the agreement with Setanta, we'd be watching the same number of Premiership matches this season as we did last year. So, at the end of the day, it's a win-win for us.

In the meantime, I should be getting more information about IPTV shortly. As soon as I do, I'll be sure to post it on this blog. Thanks for your support!

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 7:46 AM 14 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Inside Fox Soccer Channel's Recent Developments

Premiership Countdown: 11 Days to Go.

Now that Setanta Sports has sublicensed many of the rights to the Premiership matches from Fox Soccer Channel, what impact will this have on Fox Soccer Channel and what does it say about their coverage of the English Premier League and football in general on FSC?

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

PROS

Improved schedule. Fox Soccer Channel will now have 7 hours of continuous coverage on Saturday's from 10am until 5pm ET. They'll be showing the 10am and Noon matches live, followed by the 2:15pm ET tape-delayed match, and then their "Super Saturday +" show from 4:30-5pm ET.
Live match on Sundays. Last season, Sunday was anti-climatic when watching the Premiership on FSC because the match was shown tape-delayed at 1pm ET. Now the live matches on Sundays at 11am ET will definitely add to the excitement, allowing us to watch live battles between sides such as Man United v Arsenal (Sept 17), Spurs v Chelsea (November 5), and Arsenal v Liverpool (November 12).

CONS

Fewer high profile matches. While the 7:30am ET kick-off was inconvenient for many Premiership fans, especially those on the West Coast, the majority of the matches scheduled at this time tend to be more high profile. For example, FSC will miss out this season by not being able to show the following 7:45am ET matches: Everton v Liverpool (Sept 9), Liverpool v Spurs (Sept 23), Arsenal v Spurs (December 2) and Man United v Man City (December 9).
Competition. While I realize that Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta are working together to bring us more Premiership matches than ever before, the two channels will collide during the 10am ET timeslot on Saturdays when both FSC and Setanta will show their respective matches. The key here is that Setanta has first choice and will decide which match they'll want to show, while FSC will then broadcast a different one.
Brand loyalty. Up until this point, Fox Soccer Channel has owned Premiership football in America. There was no other choice. But while there has been criticism made against the way Fox Soccer Channel broadcasts its matches, the vast majority of people are massive fans of the channel. With Setanta Sports, Fox is now more likely to lose part of the brand loyalty it has. New viewers to Setanta may feel the channel does a better job at presenting the EPL and, with the huge amount of European football on Setanta, FSC may look like a pale comparison.

At the end of the day, both networks will work together and the Premiership football fan will reap the benefits. Deep down, though, it makes me wonder whether this was the right move for Fox?

Fox has been slowly moving their target demographic away from the expatriates and more toward the American male. When Fox Sports World changed its name in favor of Fox Soccer Channel, sports like rugby were dropped. Now, Fox has made the conscious decision to drop some of its rights to Premiership matches, and drop France's Lique 1 and German Bundesliga in favor of adding Major League Soccer matches to its programming.

According to Multichannel News, "terms of the deal were not disclosed, but published reports estimated that it ranges somewhere north of $4 million annually over the life of the contract."

The question is: Did Fox Soccer Channel get rid of Lique 1 and sublicensed Premiership TV rights in order to afford to pay Major League Soccer to air those matches?

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:38 PM 19 Comments Links to this post

Monday, August 07, 2006

Chelsea's American Tour Rated A Success

Premiership Countdown: 12 Days to Go.

The Guardian ran an interesting story in today's edition entitled "Blues Can't Match The Beatles, But American Project Reaps Rewards."

The article, written by Matt Scott, reports on Chelsea's marketing strategy in America capturing the hearts and minds of American soccer fans. At this rate, we could expect to see more English clubs playing friendlies in America in the future as they all hope to capture more of the market and sell more jerseys.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 2:19 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Sign up for a FREE Premiership E-Newsletter

Now that football fans like you have the opportunity to see more Premiership matches on TV than ever before, you need help to stay on top of all of the news and TV listings.

That's why EPL Talk is launching the EPL Talk Email Newsletter this Friday, which will be your weekly guide to getting the most out of the English Premier League on TV. Each weekly issue will be packed with your guide to the weekend's Premiership matches on TV, a preview of the big matches and much more, including:

Links to unbelievable football web sites,
The latest football headline from England,
Chances to win FREE prizes such as T-shirts from EPL Talk,
Plus a couple of other surprises, which you'll see only in the e-newsletter.

Just like the EPL Talk magazine, blog and podcast, the email newsletter will provide you with remarkable news about your favorite sports league and teams. Sign up today. It's free and easy to unsubscribe if you change your mind.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:39 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, August 06, 2006

To Tour or Not to Tour: Pre-Season Friendlies

Premiership Countdown: 13 Days to Go.

The Sunday Times of London has a short, but interesting, list of pros and cons of English clubs going overseas on those big tours. Chelsea graced the States this year. Man United traveled to South Africa, while other clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal decided to stay closer to home.

Read through the pros and cons in today's article.

While it's important for clubs to work closely with corporate sponsors, you have to wonder how far can it go before its more damaging than good. For example, the main reason why Man United toured North America two years ago was Nike. And the amount of travel that summer meant that the United squad were exhausted before the season began.

Will teams like Arsenal and Spurs be more relaxed and ready for the season after playing friendlies in Austria and France respectively? We'll find out in less than two weeks!

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 8:52 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Report from Chelsea Press Conference in Chicago

By Christopher Schachter, EPL Talk correspondent

I really thought Joe Cole was doing his best Damien Duff, an arms flailing dive not 5 minutes into the 2nd half, but unfortunately Mourinho ("I am not a doctor") offered up the fact that indeed, the England winger must have his knee checked for ligament damage before leaving Chicago. And so the tone was set for the post match remarks parsed out to a standing room only crowd beneath Toyota Park, by the engagingly arrogant manager. Jose was pissed and in the 10 minutes allotted to the working press, unless you're Chelsea TV, it was only the rude but efficient British media that dared to pose the questions. The MLS was faster, sharper and better conditioned, while according to the coach, Chelsea were tired, slow and without legs after a week of two-a-day sessions in 90+ degree LA and as a result, even though the Ballack thru ball to Drogba for a nullified 1st half goal was NOT offside (he mentioned this twice), in the end it was MLS conditioning winning out over CFC quality. "Some players couldn't play 45 minutes." He then suggested that the MLS keeper deserved the Man of the Match, not the goal scorer, for the former succeeded in wasting 10-15 minutes! Both Sheva and Ballack did show that their "positional relation is correct," while he mumbled that Wayne Bridge hardly played at all in the last year. When it was mentioned that Gallas' agent is interested in a switch to Arsenal, Jose railed "I don't talk to agents," team PR nazis then chirped in that JM will only discuss the game...Whatever. Fact is, John Terry moved himself up to striker in injury time and posed the only credible EPL threat to MLS. The man can't stomach losing, be it one-touch in training or this meaningless pre season match and that is worth the price of a ticket.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 8:03 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, August 05, 2006

EA Announces Upcoming Release of FIFA 07

Premiership Countdown: 14 Days to Go.

We're just a week away from the Community Shield, and two weeks away from the Premiership kick-off. And, amazingly, we're approximately 7 weeks away from the next release in the EA FIFA video game series, FIFA 07.

According to EA Sports, the game will include a complete overhaul of the game engine and is scheduled for release in late September/early October in the US.

New features include:

Crowds react to your performance. When you have possession and score goals, the fans will result with rousing chanting.
Improved gameplay. Passing and positioning have all been enhanced. Players jostle and collide realistically while trying to win balls. New ball physics accurately recreate bouncing, skidding and topspin. Signature moves and playing styles for the stars have been authentically captured.
Complete authenticity. FIFA 07 features 27 leagues from 20 nations. Over 510 teams are accurately represented with correct kits and badges.

Many of the other new features take advantage of online functionality including even a live sports ticker with real scores and news from the world of football.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:46 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Behind the Scenes: Chelsea v MLS All-Star Match

By Christopher Schachter, EPL Talk correspondent

Game Day in Chicago:

Fact: America is one tacky place, marketing sports and big events is none too subtle, they'll blow up anything into massive balloons and have college kids shoving gatorade at you when you have a latte in one hand and a laptop in the other. I'm not sure why they've installed a skateboard park behind a goal. Toyota park is built on a gravel pit, cargo trains gently roll by one side, very big trucks rumble by the other and air traffic above never ceases from nearby Midway Airport. If you live in the city, about twenty miles to the northeast, and surely a core market is urban based and car-less, you ought to provide some public transport. There's not. Land is cheap here and the facility is retro fitted with a concert stage in case this soccer thing perhaps doesn't work out. So what's a US-EPL supporter to do if he won't buy into the USSF/MLS scheme? Spend money and glory in the EPL, here's a breakdown: $650 for the London Times delivered to your door at 5am same day, Time Warner Cable + Broadband $1332, add a PPV package $350 (note: Setanta's motherload of a new deal has apparently voided this expense, be it at home or in the pub and we all need to get it whatever the cost since it will save hundreds and put an end to the social burden of having to leave home on the weekend and go out with other boring couples). New sponsor=new kit $120 (adults should under no circumstances buy shorts), Sirius Satellite for live match commentary $143 + receiver, 500 750ml bottles of Fuller London Pride $2,500 (NYC price @ $5 per). Total $5152. $100 per weekend, less than dinner and a movie.

Game Day in Chicago: Chelsea are set up in a 4-4-2 with (Bridge/ Carvalho/Terry/Ferreira), (Cole/Lampard/Ballack/Geremi), (Sheva/ Drogba) - subject to change! MLS are in a 3-1-4-2 (in the side are Albright and Ching in Germany, no playing time).

Note from The Gaffer: Chris has sent us more images to look at from behind-the-scenes at the MLS v Chelsea match. Check them out now at http://www.flickr.com/photos/epltalk

7:06pm ET: Chelsea pre-match warm-up images just added.

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 5:29 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Coverage of tonight's Chelsea v MLS All-Star match

Stay tuned to the EPL Talk Blog tonight before, during and after the Chelsea v MLS All-Star match. Depending on how the technology works, we may be able to get photographs -- and even audio -- from EPL Talk correspondent Christopher Schachter.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 4:57 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Behind the Scenes at Chelsea's Pre-Season Training & Press Conference

By Christopher Schachter, EPL Talk correspondent

In a packed and stifling media room just off the team dressing rooms in the bowels of Toyota Park, I learned some interesting things about the culture of the EPL. The Gaffer reigns imperiously and the players submit to his authority in a way that is completely alien to American major sports. Case in point: Prior to Jose Mourinho strolling in to talk with the press (here, about 60/40 US to Brit), Shaun Wright-Phillips, accompanied by a PR handler, was regurgitating the party line about training, MLS, his role on the squad, what he's learned from last year (how to remove splinters from his hindquarters), etc...He tap danced around any question posed to him regarding the manager's role for him last season in the coming year. Then, Jose appears, SWP sits up straight, becomes sheepish and makes a quick exit. Jose, who already did a sweep of the interview room prior to the media's arrival (let's just say he's wound tight), is aloof and engaging at once. Handles the fluff and pointed questions with aplomb. I asked if the pressure in midfield may be relieved with a loan agreement before the summer window closes to which to he categorically denied it would happen (sorry SWP). A Brit then asked about tactics for the MLS and Community Shield matches. The Special one revealed that although winning the "next" game is always "imperative," due to their lack of pre season games compared to the three competitors for the top end of the table, he would need to use these games to prepare for 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 and expected to maximize substitutions. He then told the corp that today's practice would be light, just to get used to the MLS ball (Adidas v. Prem Nike ball they've been training with in LA).

I was astonished at the pace and intensity of this light session. It began with a 11 v 11 game of one touch passing using the hands only, scoring only with the head. I've been to training sessions for NFL, NBA, MLB teams. I was amazed at the intensity and sheer joy that players making 70-100+ thousand a week played with. They moved on to a 1/3 field, 11 v 11 game and the pace was increased. Terry, Sheva, Frank, Ballack, Drogba (very important coif revision, thank you Didier), Robben, Mikel (he's as big as a linebacker) who went down for a bit, putting each other at risk, risky looking tackles that would have led to a World Cup booking and going nuts after scoring a goal all whilst playing up to the paying supporters whose total may have surpassed an MLS game or two. I'm jaded, I think athletes are prima donnas, etc. Not here, not in front of Jose, who watches every touch in every drill. The speed compared to the earlier MLS practice was embarrassingly stark in contrast, the skill level is truly breathtaking. If you're following along with the pix, you'll see Cech, training and struggling to deal with his recently operated on shoulder. He was not smiling.

By the way Ashley Cole... Wayne Bridge looked razor sharp and quite serious. Honor your contract at that Ligue 1 club in North London. Geremi was also very active and perhaps looking to displace Ferreira at right back...I overheard some grumbling from Steve Clark that Chelsea are locked into a similar US training scheme/match for next season due to the marketing agreement with LA Galaxy. Whatever. It's most likely brutal on the players, coaches to be away from home, but I sense Jose is very keen on the results...I then followed the low flying jets back to my hotel which, apparently is closer to the departure gates than Midway Airport's check-in desk!

Note from The Gaffer: Continue to visit the EPL Talk Flickr account to see over 80 fantastic behind-the-scenes images from Chelsea's pre-season training session, press conferences and more!

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:28 AM 4 Comments Links to this post

Exclusive Interview with Setanta's Shane O'Rourke

Today, EPL Talk conducted an exclusive interview with Shane O'Rourke, the president of North American operations for Setanta Sports.

With Setanta and Fox Soccer Channel dividing the Premiership matches to be shown in the US, soccer fans will have many questions about the changes and what impact the announcement will have.

EPL Talk will guide you through the changes.

First, go ahead and listen to the interview on the EPL Talk Podcast right now. Then, afterwards, feel free to post your questions or feedback here, and we'll do our best to answer.

Personally, I think it's a good thing. Although Setanta is charging $15 per month, that's far cheaper than the $20 per PPV game we're used to. Definitely value for money, especially seeing all of the Premiership matches the channel will be showing (plus much more).

What's your opinion?

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// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:12 AM 16 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 04, 2006

Notes from MLS All-Star Press Conference

By Christopher Schachter, EPL Talk correspondent

ESPN just announced their rights package, the leagues fourth if you include HDNet and Univision...all games on the Deuce (industry parlance for watching soccer with baseball scores on perpetual scroll at the bottom of the screen). It's a Thursday night 26 regular season and three playoff match package in prime time. ESPN will then buy the time on the ABC network for the season opener, all star game and MLS Cup. Package is to run from 2007 to 2014. I asked ESPN's EVP of content, John Skipper, if any announcer talent has been chosen. He said no, but he thought Davie O did a fine job - go figure. Tommy Smyth was there, poor man's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Skipper spent some time in the UK buying and running Soccernet and claims to be a Spurs supporter. No dollars have been announced. Presiding over the announcement was MLS boss-man Don Garber. His state of the league address outlined increases in team value, marketing success, expansion, first time ever TV rights fees actually paid to the league instead of the league buying the air time on ESPN and massive appeal of the sport coming off the World Cup which had a boatload of ratings. Sounds real good but when I asked him if the current single entity, LLC league management structure could be re-visited in the future now that there is serious broadcast demand for their product, he emphatically said under no circumstances will that occur and actually cited "Once in a Lifetime" (the NY Cosmos ESPN financed movie of profligate spending, chicks, drugs) as a lesson on how not to run a league. So, they're just gonna continue to play with severe salary restrictions, second rate players and centrally dictated player allocations and collect the dough at HQ...man, I really want to care for and support this league but they make it difficult.

I NEED A DISH because Setanta are gonna make weekends living hell for all our significant others as The Gaffer just informed me that they will be supplementing FSC's EPL schedule like mad.

The guys in the truck are still too tired from Germany to realize I'm taking some pix as they continue prep for the ESPN show...remember, the content is still controlled by the league until next season and yes, the MLS weasles force Sierra Mist down everybody's throat at regular intervals and no, Fuller's ESB is not available at any concession stands...

Note from The Gaffer: See Chris's latest behind-the-scenes pictures on the EPL Talk Flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/photos/epltalk -- new ones just uploaded.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 5:21 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Blogging From Chicago: Chelsea v MLS All-Stars

By Christopher Schachter, EPL Talk correspondent

Arrived safely in Chicago, shocked and amazed that they speak the President's English outside of New York City. You see, except for the occasional trip to visit my brother in SW6 and dragging my fiance on the Stamford Bridge Grounds Tour (10 pounds and a bargain at that), I rarely leave the concrete hell I call home. Never fly ATA, it's crap. There was gum stuck on my seat. No Gallas on board, he's disloyal for trying to break his contract. No Ashley Cole on board he's loyal for trying to break his contract...

Toyota Park, AEG and MLS's newest addition to the company store (hey, the players get their checks from the league and only the hot dog vendors get paid by the "Club" in this league, right, bizarre) is a pretty park, located between an airport, four highways and situated within a 5 mile radius of some rather depressing office park facilities. Yes, it's in the middle of nowhere. As I arrived MLS All Stars (minus Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tyler Twellman and Pablo Mastroeni, but starring Freddie "Hype" Adu) were training.

Chelsea arrive in 4 hours, I'm gonna phone that dude in Scotland for the keys to invisibility and cloister myself in the dressing room, it's small and Jose's head is big...the security here is laughable. A bunch of kids comprise the "Event Staff," if you walk by them looking pissed they step aside.

ESPN, the company that basically took over ABC sports, where I used to work (now I put soap operas and news on the air), is mashing on graphics and doing interviews with MLS (that was me yawning). Mitch Green is the game producer, he played soccer on scholarship at Colorado College and has produced major college football, golf, college hoops and has been involved in 3 world cups for ABC/ESPN. Yes, he knows his stuff, I kid you not and he was givin the thankless task of teaching Dave O'Brien (everybody's fave Baseball announcer) world football on the fly during the tournament...not too much pressure. He tells me that while producing live on the air, he'd be furiously writing the history of the game on index cards going through stacks of 'em over the month, 22 or so games and tossing them in front of both O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa. He mentioned that O'Brien, known as one of the nice guys in a cut throat business, really underestimated the complexity and nuances of the game and it's glorious history. Oh, by the way, Eric Wynalda (did he even try to learn anything prior to stepping on set at ESPN's Bristol, CT studios) was gonna interview Bruce Arena, but the new coach of the Red Bull has left town, gettin' ready for Barca I guess.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 5:11 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Interview with Setanta Sports: North America

EPL Talk will be conducting an interview this afternoon with Shane O'Rourke, president of North American operations for Setanta Sports, to discuss today's huge announcement.

It'll be released as a special edition of the EPL Talk Podcast.

If you have any questions for Setanta, please post them here so I can ask them!

Thanks everyone for your questions you posted here and that you emailed to me. I tried to ask as many as I could.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 3:31 PM 3 Comments Links to this post

Behind the Scenes at Chelsea v MLS All-Stars

EPL Talk correspondent Christopher Schachter who is covering the Chelsea against MLS All-Star match has arrived safely in Chicago.

To see his up-to-the-minute photos from behind-the-scenes at Toyota Park with the MLS All-Stars, visit the EPL Talk Flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/photos/epltalk/

Stay tuned to EPL Talk this weekend for continuing coverage of the Chelsea match.

More details to come.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 2:25 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Setanta Sports To Show 90+ Premiership Matches

BREAKING NEWS. Setanta Sports has made an agreement with Fox Soccer Channel whereby Setanta will show 90+ live Premiership matches during the 2006/2007 season.

While the majority of matches shown during the season will be on Fox Soccer Channel, Setanta has sublicensed the live rights for an estimated 62 Saturday matches, approximately 28 Sunday matches and a selection of mid-week matches.

The opening weekend schedule from Setanta is as follows:

Saturday, August 19th, 7:45am ET:
Sheffield United v Liverpool

Saturday, August 19th, 10am ET:
Arsenal v Aston Villa

Sunday, August 20th, 8:30am ET:
Manchester United v Fulham

Setanta Sports is available to subscribers on DirecTV.

Looking ahead at the first half of the season, Setanta will be showing some huge matches including Chelsea v Liverpool, Arsenal v Spurs, Man Utd v Liverpool, Man Utd v Man City, Everton v Liverpool, and Liverpool v Spurs.

Now that we know Setanta will be showing the 7:30am ET Saturday match and the 8:30am/9am ET Sunday match, we can reveal the other matches that Setanta will show:

Liverpool v West Ham United (Saturday, August 26, 7:45am ET)
Aston Villa v Newcastle (Sunday, August 27, 9am ET)
Everton v Liverpool (Saturday, September 9, 7:45am ET)
Charlton v Portsmouth (Saturday, September 16th, 7:45am ET)
Chelsea v Liverpool (Sunday, September 17th, 8:30am ET)
Liverpool v Spurs (Saturday, September 23rd, 7:45am ET)
Bolton v Liverpool (Saturday, September 30th, 7:45am ET)
West Ham v Reading (Sunday, October 1st, 9am ET)
Wigan v Man Utd (Saturday, October 14th, 7:45am ET)
Wigan v Man City (Saturday, October 21st, 7:45am ET)
Man Utd v Liverpool (Sunday, October 22nd, 8am ET)
Sheff Utd v Chelsea (Saturday, October 28th, 7:45am ET)
Fulham v Everton (Saturday, November 4th, 7:45am ET)
West Ham v Arsenal (Sunday, November 5th, 8:30am ET)
Man City v Newcastle (Saturday, November 11th, 7:45am ET)
Reading v Spurs (Sunday, November 12th, 8:30am ET)
Man City v Fulham (Saturday, November 18th, 12:45am ET)
Wigan v Aston Villa (Sunday, November 19th, 8:30am ET)
Charlton v Everton (Saturday, November 25, 7:45 am ET)
Newcastle v Portsmouth (Sunday, November 26th, 8:30am ET)
Arsenal v Spurs (Saturday, December 2nd, 7:45am ET)
Man Utd v Man City (Saturday, December 9th, 7:45am ET)
Charlton v Liverpool (Saturday, December 16th, 7:45am ET)
Everton v Chelsea (Sunday, December 17th, 8:30am ET)
Fulham v West Ham (Saturday, December 23rd, 7;45am ET)

Setanta will also be showing one of the 10am ET Saturday matches and some mid-week matches.

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates today.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:28 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Does Martin O'Neill Have What It Takes?

In the past few years, Martin O'Neill's stock value has skyrocketed. But is he as good as everyone says he is, and what impact can he have at a languishing Aston Villa?

The former Nottingham Forest midfielder played under legendary manager Brian Clough, so O'Neill was able to learn from the best. Since that time, O'Neill achieved incredible success as a manager at Wycombe Wanderers (taking them from non-league into the football league), Leicester City (finishing in the top half of the Premiership every season in that league), and Celtic (where they won the treble in his first season there). He resigned in May 2005 to take care of his wife, who was sick.

His track record is phenomenal, but it's going to take time to transform Villa into a winning side. It's crucial that new owners take control at Villa as soon as possible, so O'Neill will have time to buy much-needed players before the August transfer window closes. For starters, Aston Villa desperately needs a striker. Baros and Angel are too inconsistent, while Luke Moore shows much promise but is lacking experience.

For an in-depth look at Martin O'Neill and what he has to offer Aston Villa, read the following article from the always spot-on Guardian newspaper.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:20 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Watford's American Star Ready for Premiership

Premiership Countdown: 15 Days To Go.

The days at Watford's Vicarage Road are quite different now than they were when Elton John bought the Fourth Division club during the 1976-1977 season. Incredibly, the club rose to the First Division in the early 1980s and finished their first season in the top flight second to the eventual champions, Liverpool.

That meteoric rise sounds like the career of young American Jay DeMerit, who passed on his chance to try to make it in the MLS and instead moved to England on a whim, playing in a pub league and another amateur side. His guts lead to a friendly against Watford, who later signed a one year contract with him.

The rest is history. Read the interview with DeMerit in today's Guardian newspaper.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 6:18 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Could This Be Tottenham's Season?

They have one of the best managers in the league. They've been spectacular during pre-season after defeating Inter Milan, Celta Vigo, Bordeaux and Nice. And on paper, they have a remarkable team -- one that reminds me of the skilful side they had in the early 1980s starring Argentines Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa, and glamour player Glenn Hoddle.

They are Tottenham. They are Spurs.

On the field, Finnish midfielder Teemu Tainio is finding his form. Defender Anthony Gardner is back from injury. Grandpa Edgar Davids has decided to stay with Spurs for one more season. And new signing Didier Zokora, who played fantastically for Ivory Coast, could be one of the signings of the season when he slots nicely into the holding midfielder position left by Michael Carrick.

Up front, Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov is extremely promising. He's physical, skilful and could be just what Spurs need to make a statement in the early part of the season. Combined with Jermain Defoe, who has a lot to prove, this could be a deadly partnership.

On the right wing, don't forget about Aaron Lennon who will be boosted with confidence after his recent World Cup outings. And don't forget England goalkeeper Paul Robinson in goal.

The only weakness I can see is on the left wing, which is why Spurs wanted Damien Duff. There's still plenty of time for Jol to find someone else.

I mentioned earlier this week that Spurs had unveiled a third strip which is brown. Well, Spurs has also released a new away strip which is aqua (see above)!

Note to Spurs fans: While you're reading this blog, be sure to check out my other blog posts at http://eplleague.blogspot.com, listen to episodes 1-18 of the EPL Talk Podcast featuring interviews with celebrities on the topic of football (including Paul Oakenfold), and download a free copy of the EPL Talk Magazine with football articles or topics you won't find anywhere else.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:54 PM 12 Comments Links to this post

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:13 PM 3 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Where Have All the Rodney Marsh's Gone?

Premiership Countdown: 17 Days to Go.

One of my complaints about the modern game, and the Premiership, is the lack of characters in the sport. Now that Roy Keane and Alan Shearer have retired, what other Premiership stars can you name that are English and are unique characters? Seriously, I'm hard pressed to name a single one.

Unfortunately I wasn't old enough to see him play, but Rodney Marsh was a quintessential character in the same mould as George Best and Ray Hudson. Whether you're a fan of Marsh or not, you have to read this fantastic article in the Times newspaper that gives a glimpse into what it used to be like being a footballer in England and America during the 1970s.

The former Fulham, QPR and Tampa Bay Rowdies player now works with Talk Sport Radio, which can be heard live on the Internet at http://www.talksport.net (it's also a fantastic site to follow the Premiership during the season).

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 1:06 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Best Way to Experience the Chelsea v MLS All-Stars Match

We're just three days away from the MLS All Star match against Chelsea, and the excitement is reaching a fever pitch. The fantastic news is that EPL Talk will have a correspondent making a trek to Chicago to report on the event. His name is Christopher Schachter, a TV industry veteran from New York and a massive soccer fan.

Chris will be arriving in Chicago on Friday equipped with his press credentials for the match, and thanks to the power of technology, he'll be snapping pictures of his experiences. You'll be able to see his pictures the minute he sends them in a real-time slideshow. To view the images, just go to the EPL Talk homepage on Friday and Saturday at http://www.epltalk.com/ and click on the camera icon near the center of the page (under the Premiership results).

If you're going to Chicago, keep an eye out for Chris who will also be handing out EPL Talk T-shirts to die-hard fans.

Before and after the match, Chris will be conducting interviews on behalf of EPL Talk -- and will be writing about what he learns on the EPL Talk Blog and in the next issue of the EPL Talk Magazine, due out around August 14th.

To enjoy unique coverage out of the Chelsea tour experience this weekend, watch ESPN and keep the other eye firmly planted on EPL Talk.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 10:40 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

The 2 G's Come Out On Top with Chelsea Tour Coverage

In the US this past week, there has been an abundance of media coverage surrounding Chelsea's pre-season training in Los Angeles. The USA Today even had a Chelsea story on the front cover of their sports section.

But out of all of the media covering the event, the best job done thus far has been by The 2 G's on the Champions Soccer Radio Network. Both Graham Bell and Gary Richards, along with correspondent Pete Brown and producer Diana Germano, have done a splendid job by giving listeners an glimpse inside the Chelsea camp.

We've heard interviews with Jose Mourinho, John Terry, Joe Cole and Simon Greenberg (the director of communications at Chelsea). The 2 G's Show is on every weekday at Noon ET. Visit http://www.the2gs.com for more information.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 9:05 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Changes at Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel's announcement this week that they've entered into a five-year programming deal with Soccer United Marketing that includes live and exclusive rights to a selection of Major League Soccer matches through 2010 will not impact the network's coverage of the English Premier League.

Looking at FSC's TV schedule for August through October, the MLS games will mostly be shown on some Saturday and Sunday nights. Football from the Italian and Argentine leagues returns. However, it appears that the Bundesliga will no longer be televised by Fox.

As we revealed on this blog as early as July 11th, FSC's Saturday schedule is 7.5 hours of continuous content starting at (all times Eastern) 9:30am with the EPL Review Show, followed by the 10am live Premiership match, then the 12:15pm live match. From 2:30-3:00pm, it's "Super Saturday +" followed by a tape-delayed match at 3pm.

Fox will then show the 11am ET Sunday match live, and will show some of the Monday and mid-week matches. An official announcement will be made soon regarding who will show some of the other big Premiership matches.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:14 AM 7 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Football Interview with DJ Paul Oakenfold

The latest episode of the EPL Talk Podcast is now available featuring an interview with a modern day renaissance man in music, Paul Oakenfold. I say that because he's a musician, producer, remixer and DJ. Plus he's scored movies such as "Swordfish" with John Travolta. And he's been actively involved in the video game industry.

And best of all, he's a huge football fan.

Listen to the interview right now here, or download it via iTunes. For those audiophiles, I apologize that the audio quality of the interview isn't as good as it should be. But hang in there during the interview. The audio quality improves as the interview unfolds.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 11:07 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Breaking News: FSC's Premiership TV Schedule

The Fox Soccer Channel web site has revealed what matches the network will be showing in the first few weeks of the Premiership season:

Saturday, August 19th, 10am ET:
Newcastle United v Wigan Athletic

Saturday, August 19th, Noon ET:
Bolton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday, August 19th, 3pm ET:
Reading v Middlesbrough (tape delayed)

Sunday, August 20th, 11am ET:
Chelsea v Manchester City

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2:30pm ET:
Watford v West Ham United

Wednesday, August 23rd, 3pm ET:
Middlesbrough v Chelsea

Saturday, August 26th, 10am ET:
TBD

Saturday, August 26th, Noon ET:
Manchester City v Arsenal

Saturday, August 26th, 3pm ET:
TBD (tape delayed)

Sunday, August 27th, 11am ET:
Blackburn Rovers v Chelsea

Monday, August 28th, 3pm ET:
TBD

Saturday, September 9th, 10am ET:
TBD

Saturday, September 9th, Noon ET:
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday, September 9th, 3pm ET:
TBD (tape delayed)

Sunday, September 10th, 11am ET:
West Ham United v Aston Villa

Monday, September 11th, 3pm ET:
Reading v Manchester City

Saturday, September 16th, 10am ET:
TBD

Saturday, September 16th, Noon ET:
Watford v Aston Villa

Saturday, September 16th, 3pm ET:
TBD

Sunday, September 17th, 11am ET:
Manchester United v Arsenal

Saturday, September 23rd, 10am ET:
TBD

Saturday, September 23rd, Noon ET:
Reading v Manchester United

Saturday, September 23rd, 3pm ET:
TBD (tape delayed)

Sunday, September 24th, 11am ET:
Newcastle United v Everton

Monday, September 25th, 3pm ET:
Portsmouth v Bolton Wanderers

Saturday, September 30th, 10am ET:
TBD

Saturday, September 30th, Noon ET:
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough

Saturday, September 30th, 3pm ET:
TBD (tape delayed)

Sunday, October 1st, 11am ET:
Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth

Thanks John for the tip!

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 4:06 PM 6 Comments Links to this post

Sides Tipped for 2006-2007 Relegation Battle

Premiership Countdown: 18 Days to Go.

It's a sad reflection of the Premiership's plight, but this season -- in my humble opinion -- there are six teams in the top flight that are candidates for relegation. While the cream rises to the top in the Premier League, that creamy layer is becoming thinner as each passing season goes by.

It means is that the battle for relegation in the Premiership is much more open than the battle for the ultimate trophy. We've seen this in the past couple of seasons where teams have escaped the drop within the last few games of the season (Portsmouth) or the very last 90 minutes (West Brom).

Alas, before a ball is even kicked, here's my list of clubs that are in peril this 2006/2007 season:

Aston Villa: Trouble off the field could endanger this club that's steeped in history. Gareth Barry, for example, has publicly stated his desire to leave. However, the Villans have done very well in their pre-season friendlies, albeit against weaker opposition such as Wolves and Walsall.

Charlton Athletic: I'm not convinced that Iain Dowie has what it takes to motivate his new side to achieve success. Furthermore, I feel the club will find it very difficult to overcome the legacy that Alan Curbishley instilled in the side. Darren Bent has signed a new four year contract, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has joined the side. But I predict trouble in the valley.

Fulham: I feel the Cottagers have what it takes to avoid the drop, but depending on the form of key players and whether injuries occur, the team could find itself in trouble. Jimmy Bullard from Wigan was a key signing in midfield, while Franck Queudrue from Middlesbrough will add much-needed class to this workmanlike side.

Middlesbrough: Gareth Southgate is untested as a manager although he is Boro through and through. However, the only signing of note for Middlesbrough is Julio Arca, who failed to impress me while at Sunderland. Although they did well in Europe last year, I'm concerned that many players are past their prime on this side including Mark Schwarzer, Mark Viduka and Yakubu.

Reading: If their manager wasn't Steve Coppell, I wouldn't worry so much. But the former England legend has had a poor track record of taking sides down such as Crystal Palace (twice) and Brighton. The Royals could be this season's cinderella team, but the team lacks experience and world-class players.

Sheffield United: Neil Warnock is the type of rare manager who is worth several points in the Premiership. The fire in his belly will keep his side focused, which will earn the side points by grinding out wins or draws where other managers would fail. Nevertheless, the club is in trouble despite the signing of Rob Hulse from Leeds who will give the side much-needed firepower.

"On The Brink": In my opinion, some people may pick the following clubs to be included in the above list, but I feel they have the tactics, managers and drive to keep them flying high, including a surprising Watford who will be this year's Wigan, I believe. The teams are Blackburn, Bolton, Everton, Man City, Newcastle, Portsmouth, and Watford.

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 6:53 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Interview with Paul Oakenfold

The EPL Talk Podcast interview with Paul Oakenfold is scheduled for release tonight, August 1st. Sorry for the delay, but it'll definitely be worth the wait.

In the meantime, all of the previous EPL Talk Podcast interviews are still available on iTunes or the EPL Talk Podcast page (click on the different months near the top right corner of the page). Some of my favorite interviews include Phil Schoen talking about his Highbury memories, Richard Beresh discussing how Premiership games influence his video games and vice versa, Ray Hudson just expressing himself in his own passionate way as always, and The Treble having a laugh.

What's your favorite?

The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!

// posted by The Gaffer @ 12:09 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

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Daily Analysis of the Premier League

: Name: The Gaffer; Location: Florida, United States

The Gaffer has been following football/soccer for more than 30 years. Born in Wales, he is a former journalist who now lives in Florida and spends his time analyzing the influence of the Premier League worldwide. In 2005, he founded EPL Talk.

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