by Andrew Crawshaw
Monday before the season gets underway this coming Friday (Man United v Leicester). No news yet on the PL website about which referees have been appointed to blow the whistles but there are some other snippets of news. STOP PRESS (or perhaps I should say STOP BLOG) – it is being reported as Michael Oliver)
So while we are waiting, here are the first four innovations for the new season
- The Match officials will have new kits made by Nike. They use a new sweat-wicking fabric to remove sweat from the skin for quicker evaporation – supposedly helping officials stay dry, comfortable and focussed. They come in four colours, anthracite black and siren red are carried forward from last year but equator blue and volt (yellow) are new for this season.
- Simon Hooper and David Coote are confirmed to be regular PL referees this season and they will be joined by new assistant referees Neil Davies (33) from London and David Rabothan (30) from Norfolk. Simon and David are both 36 and replace Mike Jones (50) and Neil Swarbrick (53).
- There is a new ball – The Nike Merlin, said to be the most advanced yet. It has only four panels meaning fewer seams, eliminating hard spots and, according to Nike, opening up the ball to more sweet spots for players to shoot or pass with greater accuracy.
- Tottenham’s new ground will become the 59th new stadium to host PL football. The first game there is currently scheduled to be their U23 match against Brighton on Monday August 27.
Since the PL began in 1992 a total of 49 clubs have featured in the competition. This season all three of the promoted clubs, Fulham, Cardiff City and Wolves, are returnees. However, there will be some new fixtures – Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield have never played any of the promoted teams in the PL. Cardiff have never met Burnley, Huddersfield, Leicester, Watford or Wolves; Fulham have never met Huddersfield and Wolverhampton have never met Crystal palace, Huddersfield or Watford.
Up to the end of last season 231 managers had been in charge of teams in the PL. For this season the number is increased by four….
- We have Unai Emery
- Fulham have retained Slavisa Jakanovic as their manager – he becomes the first Serbian to manage in the PL
- Wolverhampton have also retained Nuno Espirito Santo, their manager from last year he will be the 10th Portuguese manager in the PL
- Chelsea have swapped managers again, Maurizio Sarri replacing his Italian compatriot Antonio Conte
There are also a three managers returning to the PL
- Manuel Pellegrini (2013/4 Champion with Man City) takes charge of West Ham
- Marco Silva will be in charge of Everton (previously with Hull and Watford)
- Neil Warnock with Cardiff City (previously with Sheffield United, QPR and Crystal Palace)
Now the remaining five innovations…
There is a new system of sanctions for Managers and other staff.
- Every time a referee issues an official, stage one warning to any member of staff in the technical area, the caution will be noted. This will be similar to a yellow card for a player but no card will be shown but they will be informed that a stage-one caution has been issued.
- Sanctions will be subsequently imposed after 4, 8, 12 and 16 warnings to each individual.
Player cautions have also changed
- They will be competition specific and will not count in other competitions so a card in the PL will not affect appearances in cups and vice-versa.
- A player who receives 5 cautions in the PL before the club’s 19th game will receive a one-match suspension to be served in the PL
- Similarly, 10 cautions before the 32nd match will result in a two-match ban again served in the PL.
Looking forward to Sunday.
COYG
- What has been Arsenal’s best period in history, and can Emery replicate that?
- Predictions agree (!), attacking Bellerin, Chambers going, fighting the media
- This summer’s Arsenal transfers reach an all time record!!!
As a result of the successful pre-season training and friendly matches Arsenal have had and played preceding their Premier League campaign, most Gooners including myself are expecting with much expectations and passions to see Arsenal become very successful this season that opens on Friday this week to win Titles that includes the PL Title which they’ve not won in 14 consecutive past season’s campaign.
For Arsenal to achieve this incredible feast of Titles win in this coming season, Unai Emery and all members of his 25 man first team squad he’ll name for this next season’s summer campaign must strictly adhered to professional discipline in all aspects of managing the squad and playing the game. More especially in the Premier League not leaving any stone unturned in their quest to win the League Title.
Against Man City at the Ems on Sunday in the PL, Unai Emery and the 18 man Gunners team he’ll use to play this match should know the responsibility on them they have to by all possible means discharge successfully for Arsenal by beating Pep Guardiola’s Man City team to the full collection of all points in the match unfailingly.
Let me add, should in case the PGMO appointed match officiating officials for this Premier League match encounter between Arsenal and Man City decided to get funning in the match by blowing the whistle and flagging any anti-Arsenal PL match officiating whistling and flagging, the Gunners on the field of play must as a matter of expediency find the antidote to any anti-Arsenal match officiating seemingly perpetrated in the match against them by any PGMO match officiating officials to thus render such full points collection denial efforts by the PGMO totally ineffective and obsolete.
I wasn’t sure if you were saying Oliver is doing the ManU game, or ours. In any event, here are the four officials for our game.
> Referee: Michael Oliver
> Assistants: Simon Bennett, Stuart Burt
> Fourth official: Andre Marriner
It was nice to see the women do so well on the weekend.
Yeah, Sunday we are waiting… On the rules, so punishment for players who feign injuries as way of time-wasting.
Arsenal should not contemplate loaning out Calum Chambers this summer in my opinion. For such a loan out again for Chambers who was loaned out before to a PL playing club side to acquire more PL match playing experience which I believe he has acquired should be retained by Unai Emery in his 25 list for this summer capaimgn. What match PL playing experience Chambers is going to gain at a PL club that is lower in status and in the table than Arsenal if loaned there? I think it will be better for Chambers PL match gaining experience to continue at Arsenal if he’s to gain the top PL club side match playing experience he needs Arsenal should find other Gunners who are surplus to requirements at the club to loan out
I am not in the position to tell Arsenal which of the Gunners they should sell or loan out this summer. But it has been suggested in some quarters that the Gunners such as: Campbell, Perez, Ospina and Jenkinson should first be considered for selling or loan out this summer to trim the size of their first team squad