The Vertical's EPL Picks

So Endy went with a shocker and picked Chelski over his beloved Liverpool. Now its my time to give my picks. So here goes.

1. Chelski: The only thing that scares me is that there is really no cover if any thing happens to Drogba.
2. Liverpool: Might have the best starting 11 in the league last year. But a lack of depth killed then and letting Alonso go to Real Madrid means that they are still stuck on 18 titles.
3. Manchester United: Ronnie and Carlos are both gone, so this will be a year of transition for United. Maybe an FA Cup. But the 2010/2011 season you will see another championship side developed.
4. Arsenal: Its going to be close with them and City, but in the end Wenger knows what he is doing and Hughes does not.
5. Manchester City: see above. How about spending more money on a manager.
6. Aston Villa: Love the way this team is being built, through young English players.
7. Spurs: Crouch and Defoe, I think I saw this at Portsmouth.
8. Everton: Moyes might be the manager in premier league.
9. Sunderland: They spend a lot of money over the summer maybe they will show improvement on the field.
10. Fulham: Being in Europe will be a test for Fulham.
11. West Ham: Zola will have the hammers playing some good football, but in the end will not have the quality to get into the top half of the table.
12. Blackburn: Big Sam can always save teams from going down.
13. Wigan
14. Stoke City
15. Wolves
16. Birmingham City
17. Bolton
18. Burnley
19. Hull City
20. Portsmouth

First Manager to get the sack: Paul Hart Portsmouth
Best Signing: Mike Owen, Manchester United. They signed him for nothing and he could score double figures.
Golden Boot: Torres.
War of Words be Sir Alex and Rafa starts: I'm going to say that it has already started.

Endy in the Outfield's EPL Preditions

Everyone's favorite New Jersey based scouser is back for the new EPL season. Here is die hard Liverpool fan Endy in the Outfield's season prediction.

My Painful EPL Predictions

1. Man Utd.
2. Liverpool
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Portsmouth
7. Everton
8. Aston Villa
9. Newcastle
10. West Ham
11. Middlesbrough
12. Blackburn
13. Man City
14. Wigan
15. Fullham
16. Sunderland
17. West Brom
18. Bolton
19. Stoke City
20. Hull City

Best signing - Jose Bosingwa - Chelsea
Breakout player - Ryan Babel - Liverpool (of course)
First manager to be sacked - Gary Megson - Bolton
Best player - Fernando Torres - Liverpool

EPL Predictions Time

The season starts Saturday while the champions taking the field on Sunday. Here is Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump Super EPL Preview.
In order of predicted finished:
1. Manchester United: The Devils will be the first team to hold on to the trophy for three years in a row.
2. Liverpool: The Scousers close the gap but will have to wait another year to get the league championship.
3. Chelski: New coach, that has never coached in European league, smells of a little of trouble to me, I know he won a world cup.
4. Arsenal: The kids are going to be OK, Vela and Denilson lead this bunch of kids.
5. Aston Villa: Martin O'Neil gets the closet that he will ever get to the top four.
6. Tottenham Hotspurs: Going to win a trophy, but not the league and maybe even be the UEFA cup over AC Milan.
7. Portsmouth: Harry's large and short strike force might be one of the best in the league.
8. Manchester City: Does anyone else think that this situation could turn ugly.
9. Everton: Its been a slow off season for Liverpools other club.
10. Newcastle United: The Keegan can not get new players but they have to be better then last year.
11. Sunderland: Roy Keane continues to improve the club.
12. Blackburn: The Governor will have his challenges in year one.
13. Middlesbrough: This team interest me a little. They made a couple of good signing and a full year of Alves.
14. West Ham United: Is it time that Curbs goes and they bring in the Croatian Special One.
15. Fulham: Last year they had the great escape, this year there season will lack that kind of drama.
16. Wigan: Sometimes I wish that they would just get relegated but this year there are by far worst teams.
17. West Brom: The only promoted club to survive the drop.
18. Bolton: The Ginger Prince can not avoid the drop just time, but United fans will always love him for drawing Chelski on the final day last year.
19. Stoke: They will be back where they belong next year.
20. Hull City: Could even be worst then Derby County.

Best signing: Giovani Dos Santos, Spurs
Breakout Player not named Ryan Babel: Nicklas Bendtner, Arsenal
First Manager sacked: Curbs at West Ham.
Special prediction: This years champion will have the lowest point total ever.

Tommorrow: Everyones favorite American Scouser Endy in the Outfield makes his predictions.

Fixture List Time

It's never too early to look forward to the new EPL season, the league released its 2008-2009 schedule this morning.
The champion, Manchester United, open up at home with the Toon, while Liverpool open up at Sunderland. Thanks to the Daily Mail for graph.

D-Day in the EPL

Since mid August teams have been battling for the throphy with the crown on it and it came down to last day. Here are some random thoughts during the day.

• As a United fan it started really well as at church the priest was dressed in his best reds. Was that a good omen,we will all know later.
• Nothing is like the final day, drama all over the table. Hey Liverpool would never say that because they treat fourth like the new first.
• Not a great day for John Terry, first he wears the wrong shorts for the new jersey's then he does not make it to the end of the first half because of a serious arm injury.
• Peter Cech looked like a big orange in the new Chelski goal keeping shirt.
• Glad to see Gary Megson is sporting the latest in Cheslski hats.
• I guess the players at Man City really wanted Sven back 8 -1. I guess that is a no.
• It's a great day for all the Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump Family as United are crowned champions and Fulham USA avoid the Fizzy Pop League.
• Every year people talk about great escapes. Is Fulham's escape up there with West Ham from last year and West Brom from a couple of years ago?
• Everyone kills FSC for their coverage of the EPL but props to them for going to the Setanta coverage of the trophy presentation.
• I know it's in Italy but are Inter going through the greatest choke ever.

This is all too weird

So this morning I was watching Sky Sports and saw Bolton manager Gary Megson talking about his team chances to stay up and one thing game to mind, his he related to the new I'm on Setanta puppet.

Bolton manager Gary Megson

"I'm on Setanta Sport" new signing Wayne Rooney

The pictures really do not lie. In a way it makes you wonder if the Special One signed a younger version of Megson.

The African Cup of Nations Affect on the EPL

The African Cup of Nations, which starts later this month, is going to have its own say on the Premier League title race. Here is the list of players, from The Guardian, that are in the process of leaving their team to play in the tournament:

Arsenal
Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast),
Alexandre Song (Cameroon)
Birmingham
Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia)
Blackburn
Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)
Bolton
El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast)
Chelsea
Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana)
Everton
Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa)
Liverpool

Nabil El Zhar (Morocco), Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)

Middlesbrough
Mohamed Shawky (Egypt)
Newcastle
Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal)
Portsmouth
Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana)
Reading
André Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal)
Sunderland
Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)
Tottenham
Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast)
West Ham
John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal)
Wigan
Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)

Sky Sports breaks down who is going to feel the loss the most during the next month. Of the top four Manchester United have no one going and Liverpool only have Sissoko, who will not be with the team when he gets back, and a fringe player going.

More then 51 million pounds can get you an overated French Striker

With the transfer market getting ready to open again at the end of the year, it makes you wonder about how much some players have cost over the years. One of the players that jumps out at you is the sulky French striker Nicolas Anelka. The current French and Bolton striker has cost a staggering more then 51 million pounds in transfer fees over the years. Not bad for a player, who has all of the talent in the world and a bad attitude to match. Over the years Anelka has failed to live up to his great potential.

The transfer fee for the Frenchmen started low when Arsenal paid PSG only 500,000 pounds for the player in 1997. That then jumped when Real Madrid paid the Gunners 23 million pounds. The Anelka European Tour continued when went he signed with PSG for an undisclosed fee. After being loaned at to Liverpool, Anelka then head for Manchester City for 13 million pounds.

At this point you would think that the Frenchmen was sick of moving and would want to start to settle down. But after three years with the citizens the Frenchmen was on the move again heading this time to Fenerbahce for 7 million pounds.

Anelka then moved to his current home Bolton for 8 million pounds. Over the years Anelka has cost more then great players such as Luis Figo, who during his time has only cost 41.2 million pounds.

If I was betting man I would say that he will be moving again in the next transfer window for 10 million more pounds adding another stop on the Anelka European Tour.