Transfer Deadline Day!

 

Afternoon, chaps! I'm fresh home from class and digging into the transfer news from the day. As Dave mentioned on the text earlier, there is a special transfer show on Peacock right now until the 6pm deadline. Join me for some chatter about the big moves for all of our clubs. 

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 3 Update

Happy Monday, PPPers! I hope you've had a good start to your weeks. With Manchester United nicking a win away to Wolves yesterday afternoon, we ended the third round of domestic matches this season and are entering into a two week international break for Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying. It's all change again this week with Spurs now atop the Premier League - the third team in three weeks of play to be in that spot so far this season. West Ham continue their excellent form and then Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd lurk ominously in the final European spots. In the Championship, Fulham and WBA seem to have consolidated their position on top and appear to be early favorites for promotion. Michail Antonio is now on his own on top of the goalscoring chart on 4 goals, while Paul Pogba continues on top of the assists. Spurs haven't conceded yet, so Hugo Lloris is on three clean sheets for the season. 

In Europe, Lazio are now on top of Serie A, Wolfsburg continue on top of the Bundesliga and Real are back on top of La Liga. 

Here are the current standings then: 

1. West Ham Rising - 28 points

2. Swansong - 27 pts

3. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 26 pts

4. United We Stand - 25 pts

5. MOT the Hoople - 24 pts

6. Man Utd Rules - 23 pts

-  Someone Said - 23 pts

-  Teddy Goalesvelt - 23 pts

9. The Saint - 22 pts

10. Red Devil 1FCK - 21 pts

11. The Bee's Knees - 20 pts

12. Pink Kits - 19 pts

-  Red Dragon - 19 pts

14. Gooner71 - 17 pts

15. Yellows - 15 pts

16. Blue Devil - 14 pts

 

The Day of the Uniteds

Morning, chaps - who's up for some ripping United action? I know I am. It all starts with my United at Turf Moor. Last season, we bashed Burnley 0-4 there and I'd take that again for sure. At the same time, Spurs will take on Watford. We don't care about that one, do we? Then at 11am, it's your lot away to Wolves. I'll take another 0-4 win in that one, which would plunge Wolves deeper into the mire. Come on, the Uniteds! 

 

Bring on the Big Games!

Okay, boys - it looks to be an excellent morning of Premier League footer. Ahead of the end of a breathless transfer deadline window, we start with Man City v. Arsenal. Both sides have lost already this seasoan so they're under pressure, especially Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. That's followed by a load of traditional 3pm GMT kickofffs, including a London derby between West Ham and Palace. Then we end with a bang on NBC with Liverpool v. Chelsea, two of the favorites for the title this season. Let's be having ya, eh? 
 

He's Back!!!

He's Coming Home

He's Coming Home

He's Coming, Ronaldo's COMING HOME!!!

The League Cup Third Round Draw

The draw for the Third Round of the League Cup was conducted yesterday and it's thrown up some fascinating fixtures, including Manchester United hosting high flying West Ham, Wolves hosting Spurs and my beloved Leeds United away to Championship title favorites Fulham. 

Here is the draw in full: 

QPR vs Everton

Preston vs Cheltenham

Manchester United vs West Ham

Fulham vs Leeds

Brentford vs Oldham

Watford vs Stoke

Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Wigan vs Sunderland

Norwich vs Liverpool

Burnley vs Rochdale

Arsenal vs AFC Wimbledon

Sheffield United vs Southampton

Man City vs Wycombe

Millwall vs Leicester

Wolves vs Tottenham

Brighton vs Swansea

 

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 2 Update

A very good Tuesday morning, folks! I'm here as usual to update us on the current standings in our game. West Ham's 4-1 demolition of Leicester yesterday brought Week 2 of the Premier League to an end. It means that the Hammers are on top of the Premier League and our resident Hammers fan West Ham Rising is on top of our table. Chelsea and Liverpool are predictably in the top four spots but we're losing points with Spurs and, particularly, Brighton in the European spots. Likewise with Arsenal dropping into the relegation alongside Newcastle and Norwich. 

In the Championship, favorites for promotion Fulham and WBA are first and second. And in Europe, several of us have picked up points for guessing Inter Milan to win Serie A, which started this past weekend, while Sevilla and Wolfsburg are leading La Liga and the Bundesliga. Michail Antonio has now joined Bruno Fernandes on three goals at the top of scorer's chart (more points for WHR!), while Paul Pogba added another assist on Sunday and now sits on 5 assists. 

So here are our current standings: 

1. West Ham Rising - 27 points

2. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 24 pts

3. Swansong - 22 pts

4. The Saint - 21 pts

5. Red Devil 1FCK - 20 pts

6. Teddy Goalesvelt - 19 pts

7. Blue Devil - 18 pts

-  Gooner71 - 18 pts

-  MOT the Hoople - 18 pts

10. Pink Kits - 17 pts

-  Someone Said - 17 pts

12. Man Utd Rules - 16 pts

-  United We Stand - 16 pts

14. The Bee's Knees - 15 pts

-  Yellows - 15 pts

16. Red Dragon - 13 pts 

Sunday in the Prem

Morning, boys! We've got an intriguing Sunday ahead of us. It all begins with your beloved Man Utd, fresh off a ritual slaughtering of my beloved Leeds last weekend taking on their bogey team Southampton on the road. Then we've got Wolves v. Tottenham with Nuno returning to his former home. Finally, it's another big one - Arsenal v. Chelsea - with Mikel Arteta under some withering pressure to deliver a win.

Join me, won't you? 

 

One Cocked Up Saturday Morning

Morning, boys! The footie gods have not been kind to us this morning, sticking the most interesting matches on The Cock, and favoring us with a load of dross. Ah well, it's the second weekend of the season and we've already got some fascinating narratives going. We start this morning with Liverpool hosting Burnley on Peacock. I'm hoping that the Reds put the big hurt on Burnley, of course, who are Leeds' next opponents. Then there are a number of traditional 3pm GMT fixtures, including Man City v. Norwich, Palace vs. the new boys Brentford, and of course our home opener at Elland Road v. Everton. All of them are on Peacock, of course. The day ends with a load of old rubbish between Watford and Brighton on NBC, for no reason at all. Shame, but join me on the Cock won't you? 

2021-2022 Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 1 Update

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm delighted to be here with the first update for the new season. And what a thrilling first weekend of action it was! While I'm certainly not happy to see my beloved Leeds bottom of the table, I'm hopeful that teams will continue the attacking style that they showed in these first few matches. 

So, somewhat predictably we've got Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool in the top three slots, alongside West Ham and Everton. At the bottom, we've got new look Palace and recently promoted Norwich alongside Leeds. But it's early days, right? 

Promotion favorites Fulham are on top of the Championship, alongside QPR and the playoff hunters. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are off to a winning start in La Liga and Stuttgart are on top of the Bundesliga. Serie A will start next weekend. 

West Ham Rising collected one point for the first goal in the pool for correctly guessing that Michail Antonio would score his beloved West Ham's fourth goal against Newcastle. Man Utd had loads of fun playing against my freewheeling Leeds defense, so Bruno Fernandes is top of the goalscoring chart with three and Paul Pogba is top of the assists chart with four from the same match. A number of keepers, including Alisson and Edouard Mendy, who some of us chose, racked up a clean sheet over the weekend. 

That all means that our friend The Saint has jumped out to an early lead with 32 points. Here are the current standings: 

1. The Saint - 32 points 

2. Red Devil - 30 pts

-  Swansong - 30 pts 

4. The Bee's Knees - 29 pts

-  Teddy Goalesvelt - 29 pts

-  United We Stand - 29 pts

7. Blue Devil - 26 pts

8. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 23 pts

9. Red Dragon - 20 pts

10. Man Utd Rules - 19 pts

-  Someone Said - 19 pts

-  West Ham Rising - 19 pts

-  Yellows - 19 pts

14. MOT the Hoople - 16 pts

16. Gooner71 - 13 pts

-  Pink Kits - 13 pts 

First Sunday of the Season

 

Two games on the docket today in the Premier League today. We start way up north as Newcastle United host West Ham United. Can the Moyes Boys continue their form from last season? Will Lingard be missed? Can Brucie get the backing of the fans and have a good season with the Toon Army?

We end the day with the first battle between Big Six clubs. Will Kane play? Will Kane change dugouts?

Join me

UWS

PS...UNITED ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE

The Adventure Continues....

It's been a breathless start to the season and it doesn't let up today. We start with one of the most tantalizing fixtures on the calendar - my beloved Leeds against Man Utd at Old Trafford. But it isn't 1971, so I fully expect us to get tonked like we did last season. 

That should whet the appetite for the flurry of traditional 3pm GMT fixtures, including a new look Chelsea against a new look Crystal Palace in the second London Derby already. We then end the day with Liverpool taking on the Championship title winners - Norwich - as they did with Leeds last season. 

Join me for all the thrills and spills this morning, won't you? 
 

Welcome Back, Prem!

Wahay! It's back, friends. I've finished my daily errands and am settling in to enjoy this afternoon's opening fixture between newly promoted Brentford and Premier League mainstay Arsenal. It should be an absolutely absorbing affair. Join me, won't you? 
 

It All Starts Again!

Morning, chaps! I hope that you're well rested because it's here again. The traditional curtain raiser - the Community Shield match - welcomes in the new season today with a clash between champions Man City and FA Cup holders Leicester City. This time next weekend we'll be enjoying Man Utd v. Leeds, so today's match, along with the Championship fixtures, are there just to whet the appetite. Join me for the first silverware of the new season, won't you? 
 

2021/2022 Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Call-out!

Hi there, PPPers! I'm enjoying the Gold Cup Final tonight, which has reminded me that we're now less than two weeks away from the beginning of the Premier League season. For simplicity's sake, I haven't changed any of the categories or points this year; it all seemed to work smoothly during the last season.

So here's the basic set-up. 

2021/2022 Premiership Plus Predictions Game: 

1. Premiership Champions (10 pts)

2. European Qualifiers (Choose #s 2-5 in the Premiership) 4 points each plus a bonus point for correct order)

3. Relegated sides (3 points each plus bonus point for correct order) 

4. Promoted Sides (3 points each plus bonus point for correct order)

5. League Cup winner – (6 points)

6. League Cup losers – (2 points)

7. FA Cup winner – (8 points)

8. FA Cup loser - (2 points)

9. Europa League Winner (4 points)

10. Champions League Winner (6 points)

11. La Liga (Spanish) Champions (2 points)

12. Bundesliga (German) Champions (2 points) 

13. Serie A (Italian) Champions (2 points)

14. Premiership top scorer (6 points)

15. Premiership Leader in Assists (4 points)

16. Golden Gloves winner (Goalkeeper with the most clean sheets; 2 points)

17. First Goalscorer in the Premiership (2 points if actual first goalscorer; 1 point for first goalscorer in PPP pool)

18. First Player to Score a Hat-trick in the Premiership (2 points) 

19. First Player to Get a Red Card (including two yellow cards) in the Premiership (2 points; 1 point for first in pool)

20. First Premiership Player to Get an FA Ban for Off-Pitch Incident (2 points)

21. First Premiership Player to Get a Second Yellow Card for a Silly Offense (2 points)

22. First Premiership Manager to Get a “Vote of Confidence” (Shortly Before Getting the Sack) (2 points) 

23. First Premiership Manager to Get Sacked in the Premiership (2 points)

24. First Two Premiership Managers to Get into a Fight (2 points) 

25. PFA Player of the Year (2 points)

26. PFA Young Player of the Year (2 points)

Please get me your predictions in those categories either by replying to this email (remember not to "Reply All" so that your picks are anonymous) by Friday morning, August 13, before Brentford kick off against Arsenal at 3pm EST. I'll be updating the standings weekly throughout the season both on the LOB blogsite and here by email. Please let me know if there is a better email at which to reach you. 

Good luck to all of you this season!

 

RIP Terry Cooper: 1944-2021

Sad news this morning of the death of another of my childhood Elland Road heroes, Terry Cooper, at the age of 77. As someone who was trying to learn the craft of being a defender in the early to mid-70s, Terry was a role model, the epitome of elegance in the back four for the legendary Don Revie team. His goal in the 1968 League Cup Final gave the club its first major honor and he went on to win the league title, the Fairs Cup and another League Cup with Leeds - and should have won more! He'll be great missed. RIP Terry.