Premier League - News and Rumors

[zudomiriku]

EPL Clubs Make Mistake by Letting Star MF Join Galatasaray

Wesley Sneijder gave clubs from around the English Premier League a chance to land him before finally accepting a move to Turkish side Galatasaray. No teams stepped up, and they will come to regret that decision once the star midfielder regains top form.

Simon Rice of The Independent reports Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal were all tracking the Netherlands international's situation, but now medical clearance is the only thing standing between Sneijder and Galatasaray.

The 28-year-old superstar was phased out at Inter Milan and hasn't played competitive football since September, so it's no surprise he moved during the January transfer window. The surprise was the lack of major interest from English clubs.



Although it will take some time for the playmaker to re-establish himself following that extended layoff, he's still one of the most talented midfielders in the world. He would have provided a boost to any Premier League midfield.

Sneijder illustrated that immense skill before getting sidelined by Inter. He had tallied two goals and three assists in eight appearances before the club decided to bench him.

Players with his type of talent are rarely on the market in January, which is when top clubs are usually looking to add rather than subtract. And when they are, a bidding war usually ensues between several teams to land them.

That wasn't the case with Sneijder. He waited, waited and then waited some more after Galatasaray agreed with Inter on a fee, but the market remained silent, and now he's heading to Turkey.

Whether it was because of his contract demands, the requested transfer fee or concerns about his form after sitting out for so long, no Premier League side felt the need to go all-in on him.

It's a mistake. Midfielders with his combination of creativity, vision and distribution ability don't come along often. He wouldn't have just survived in the EPL, he would have thrived if given the opportunity by United, Liverpool or another club.

Instead, he'll head to Galatasaray, where it will be tougher for him to make the same type of impact. Even though the club has been successful—Turkish Super Lig champions last season—it still doesn't have the appeal of an English side.

Those clubs that did have interest in Sneijder will surely track his progress to see if they made the right decision by passing on him. But once he finds his footing in his new home, the Dutch star is going to once again show why he's among the best midfielders on the planet.

Premier League clubs will then rue the decision to let him slip away when they had a chance.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1494693-wesley-sneijder-epl-clubs-make-mistake-by-letting-star-mf-join-galatasaray

[zudomiriku]

English Premier League: Who Will Win the 2013 EPL Player of the Year Award?



We're halfway through the current English Premier League season and already we've been witness to several breathtaking performances from a number of players.

Names that we expect to succeed like Robin van Persie and Steven Gerrard have done just that, but we've also seen the emergence of several players who we hadn't quite expected to do as well—names like Michu, Christian Benteke and Jan Vertonghen.

Either way, it's been a spectacular season to date and the player who walks away with the Premier League Player of the Year Award will certainly have to have done something special.

Last season, it was Vincent Kompany, who captained Manchester City to their first league title in 44 years; who will be the EPL's Player of the Year in 2013?

Read on as we count down from the top 10 players for the title so far this season and see who could be named the Player of the Year at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Honorable Mentions


Demba Ba, Chelsea
The once-Newcastle, now-Chelsea striker has been in superb form this year, netting 13 goals from 19 appearances to sit third on the goal-scoring lists. Is going to have shared time with Fernando Torres now, however, which will impact his goal-scoring opportunities.

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
Rooney has been superb for United this year, netting seven goals and seven assists so far, but simply missed too much of the season. He's only made 12 appearances so far this year, and with Robin van Persie dominating the attack, is unlikely to go on a goal-scoring craze.

Steven Gerrard, Liverpool
Gerrard leads the league in assists this season, and also has eight goals to match, but will be very hard-pressed to win the Player of the Year Award here given the goal-scoring options that are ahead of him in Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. Plus, a deeper-lying Gerrard is less likely to find himself in the goals and assists throughout the remainder of the season.

Jermain Defoe, Tottenham Hotspur
Jermain Defoe has been in career-best form for Tottenham this year, but won't be able to get himself truly in the running for the league's MVP. Defoe has netted 10 goals in 22 appearances this year, but with Clint Dempsey and Emmaunel Adebayor in the starting side, always faces great competition for picking up Spurs' goals this season.

Mikel Arteta
Arsenal's midfield maestro Mikel Arteta has been positively excellent this season, but simply doesn't do enough to win the Player of the Year Award. He leads the league with a staggering 92.6 pass completion percentage, but has just four goals and two assists to speak of—despite being surrounded by a number of quality midfielders. An injury at the moment won't help his cause either.

10. Marouane Fellaini, Everton


Everton's Marouane Fellaini was simply superb through the opening half of the season and was instrumental in the Toffees' strong run towards the top of the table.

Through his 18 appearances for the Merseyside club, Fellaini bagged himself eight goals, three assists and five man-of-the match awards, and was one of the best go-to attackers in the league.

Yet, one momentary brain-snap on Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross which saw him suspended for three matches (per The Independent) means that the Belgian simply won't win the award. There's just no way that the league would give it to him—not after that action.

Plus, eight goals through 18 games isn't completely unheard of either.

9. Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham Hotspur


Jan Vertonghen has been one of the best center backs in the league this season following his move to Tottenham Hotspur from Ajax over the summer transfer window.

The Belgian international ranks as highly in tackles, interceptions and clearances, and has been instrumental in Spurs' big run up the league table this year.

If Tottenham can finish inside the top four or even inside the top three, then Vertonghen will surely come into consideration for the award. However, anything lower than that, and the defender will be unlikely to be thought of as one of the players of the year, even though he has been.

That's just the way the award works.

8. Leighton Baines, Everton


Leighton Baines has been the best left-back in the Premier League this season, and his ability to get down the wings into attacking positions has also been particularly impressive.

Baines has netted three goals and two assists from defense, and also averages a high number of tackles, interceptions and effective clearances per game as well.

The England international ranks amongst the best in the league for successful dribbles per game as well as goal-scoring opportunities created per game—both of which are remarkable statistics to be coming from someone playing in defense.

Baines also leads the league in accurate crosses per game, and has become focal to Everton's attack this season—something he'll need to continue to do if the Toffees are to continue their push towards Champions League qualification next season.

Like Vertonghen, it would seem unlikely that Baines will win the award if his side does not finish the season as one of the best teams in the Premier League.

7. Santi Cazorla, Arsenal


Summer transfer Santi Cazorla has been excellent for the Gunners so far this year, and one of the best players in the league as well, but sees his ranking drop all the way to seventh here as a result of the North London club's current demise.

Cazorla has won five man-of-the-match awards as a result of his seven goals and six assists, and at times this year, has seemed like the only attacking option that Arsenal have.

The Gunners failure to sit inside the top four at the moment isn't helping his cause, and the North London club will need a very strong remainder of the year to finish that way at the end of the year.

You'd have to think that Cazorla would be instrumental in any run made by the Gunners, but whether it will be enough to win him the Player of the Year Award still remains to be seen.

6. David Silva, Manchester City


After coming back from a horrific injury last season, David Silva has again been one of the best players for the defending champions this season, particular given all that's gone on.

Mario Balotelli has flopped spectacularly, Yaya Toure and Kolo Toure are away on international duty, Micah Richards is injured, Carlos Tevez doesn't look as devastating as last year and Sergio Aguergo has suffered two separate injury bouts.

It's been performances from guys like Silva that have kept City in the title hunt this season. Only five points down on Manchester United, City are certainly in the hunt again this year, but you must wonder whether Silva is really in the running for the award or simply making up the numbers.

He has certainly been excellent, and his three goals and five assists have come at ideal occasions for City, but with the the Citizens nowhere near as dominant as they were last year, it would seem unlikely that a Blue player wins the Player of the Year Award again.

Unless they win the title, that is.

5. Juan Mata, Chelsea


Inside the top five now and we come to Chelsea's midfield maestro, Juan Mata, who has once again been at his clinical best for the Blues this season.

Known more for his midfield mastery than his attacking dominance, Mata has stepped up in the goal-scoring column this year when his side needed him to—bagging eight goals on the season so far to go with his eight recorded assists.

Mata ranks as one of the highest in the league when it comes to goal-scoring chances created per game, with only six players currently above the Spanish international.

Given Fernando Torres' inadequacies in front of goal this year and the shift that happened under the change of managers, Mata has done very well to post the numbers that he has done, but also to keep the Blues in the race for a top four spot.

If Chelsea can keep hold of their third-place and perhaps even close the gap on the Manchester clubs a little, then Mata is definitely in consideration for the league's MVP award.

4. Michu, Swansea City


Why isn't Michu first on this list?

That will be the general consensus from a number of people following the Spaniard's incredible rise to form this season—seemingly out of nowhere.

However, when you look at the numbers and what Michu has actually achieved this season, the year has not been as special as it might first have seemed for the 26-year-old.

First off, the fact that Swansea bought him for £2 million has nothing to do with how he fares in the Player of the Year race.

The price tag for which he was purchased has been used to justify a number of things, but it does not even come into consideration here when discussing how good somebody is—not how effective Swansea's summer transfer window was.

Second of all, Michu has netted 13 goals and an assist in 22 appearances. Luis Suarez and van Persie have all netted more goals than he has—and they've done so with less appearances to their name and more assists well. His record is strong, but it isn't incredible.

And perhaps most importantly, Swansea are only in ninth position. They are not in contention for a Champions League berth or even a Europa League spot, so unless Michu's performances are particularly off the charts, he will not win the award.

He still comes in fourth here because his year has been incredible, but I would be surprised to see him win the Player of the Year award given his current situation and record.

3. Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur


The top three here pretty much picks itself and it's Welsh winger Gareth Bale who emerges in third spot out of three men in question this season.

Bale has netted nine goals and an assist from his 19 appearances this season for Spurs, which, given the defensive attention that he attracts, is a very strong feat indeed.

He also ranks inside the top 10 across the league for accurate crosses per game as well as goal-scoring opportunities created per game.

The 23-year-old has won the second most man-of-the-match awards this year—leading the North London club into the four and in the running for that elusive Champions League berth.

And if they can finish there, or even in third position ahead of Chelsea, then Bale will have to come into consideration for the Premier League Player of the Year award.

2. Luis Suarez, Liverpool


Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been absolutely fantastic for Liverpool this year, but particularly in the last few months, having lifted the club back into the top half of the table once more.

Suarez has netted 16 goals and three assists from 22 appearances without a great deal behind him in midfield, without any disrespect there to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Joe Allen.

The Uruguayan averages a league high 5.9 shots per game—more than an entire shot more than the next highest striker—and has also picked up the most yellow cards out of any player in the league this season (yes, even more than Gareth Bale).

Having said all of that, Suarez's season has been simply superb and it would take a brave man to suggest that he hasn't been a huge difference for the Reds this season.

I can't quite see him winning the award here for a couple of reasons which we'll explore in a minute, but the main one being Liverpool's current standings.

Similar to Michu, Suarez would need to comfortably win the league's top goal-scorer and keep the Merseyside club in fifth or sixth position to even come close to winning the award.

If the Reds were in Champions League contention, then absolutely, Suarez would be the first choice on this list. But seeing as they aren't, he drops down to the second favorite here for the award.

1. Robin van Persie, Manchester United


Which leaves only Robin van Persie, and he is the current favorite to take home the Premier League Player of the Year Award this season.

What he has done at Manchester United has been incredible, and fortunately for Red Devils fans, there is still a vast majority of the season yet to come this year.

Van Persie has netted a league-high 18 goals and six assists from just 20 appearances this season—winning a league-high six man-of-the-match awards.

However, his biggest impact has come at United, where he has justified his starting spot ahead of a number of strikers (including Wayne Rooney) and has led the Manchester club to a five point lead on top of the Premier League ladder.

The Dutch international has been the go-to guy for the Red Devils all year, and for me, has done more than Suarez to justify his selection as the favorite.

If the season continues as it has done so far, Robin van Persie will win the Premier League Player of the Year Award in 2013, perhaps making up for the award that he should have won last year.

But that's a story for another time.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1496661-english-premier-league-who-will-win-the-2013-epl-player-of-the-year-award

gak bakalan jauh2 dari RVP, Suarez, Mata, Michu ato Bale lah IMO

[zudomiriku]

QPR Launch Investigation into Mark Langton Racism Claims



QPR have suspended their youth coach Mark Langton over allegations of racism.

The West London club are currently reviewing their youth system after Harry Redknapp took over the team's management from Mark Hughes and released a number of young players at the end of 2012.

It is thought that the club received a complaint from a parent of one of the released players, alleging that the unnamed youngster was subject to racial abuse from Langton.

The QPR owner Tony Fernandes acted quickly in light of the allegations, suspending the highly-rated Langton and instructing QPR's human resources team to conduct a full internal investigation into the matter.

QPR are currently mired in the Premier League relegation zone, five points from safety with just 15 games remaining.

The club were previously involved in a race row last season when a member of the public made a complaint to the police about John Terry's alleged racial abuse of QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

Terry was eventually found not guilty of the charges in a court of law, but the Chelsea captain was banned for four games and fined £220,000 by the Football Association.

These latest allegations will once again pose the question as to whether English football still has an inherent problem with racism.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1496058-report-qpr-launch-investigation-into-mark-langton-racism-claims

[zudomiriku]

Everton's Leighton Baines Deserves to Be Playing for a Bigger Club



Leighton Baines is in the form of his life, but if the 28-year-old Everton left-back wants to fulfill his ambitions of playing in the Champions League, he will have to leave.

Unbeknownst to many, Baines started out his football career on the Kop supporting Liverpool and playing in the Reds' youth system as a left-winger. He was, however, rejected by Liverpool, but when both Wolves and Wigan came in for the youngster he decided on life with fellow Liverpudlian Paul Jewell at the Latics.

Jewell immediately recognized the diamond in the rough he had picked up from the Reds' scrapheap and gave the 17-year-old a debut to remember against Jason Koumas and West Brom in the League Cup. This inauspicious start was the beginning of a superb apprenticeship that saw David Moyes bring him back to Liverpool to wear a blue shirt in 2007.

Now, 11 years after his full debut and Leighton Baines is arguably the best left-back in Europe this season let alone the Premier League. To do this, Moyes has utilised Baines' huge reserves of energy and his natural instinct as a left-winger to make the player the most important element of his team.

That initial statement is made all the more amazing when you realize that Baines is not a natural defender and that he has to work extremely hard on the defensive side of his game. Known for staying back after training to improve upon his defensive skills and his natural leaning toward his lethal left foot, Baines is also one of the best professionals in the top flight.
This dedication to his trade and an extremely astute manager have combined to make the left-back an important member of the first team. As such he plays a major role both defensively and offensively from a traditionally defensive role.

This term, as Everton sit on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League, Baines has performed above and beyond his normal duties. He is responsible for creating an outstanding 77 scoring opportunities from left-back, when combined with Steven Pienaar, his left-midfield partner, that tally reaches a most excellent 129 chances.

When you delve further into Everton's chance-making statistics you realise that the rest of the team have only contributed a further 164 chances. In other words, Baines has created 26 percent of all of the Toffees' goal-scoring opportunities, and 44 percent when combined with Pienaar.

To break this down further, over 40 percent of all of Everton's attacks are initiated from the left side compared to 27 percent through the middle and 30 percent from the right.

Add in his 83-percent pass-completion rate, a tackle success rate of 80 percent and a 31-percent completion rate from 216 crosses, the fact that he loses possession less than once per game and that he is also a dead-ball expert, and it is little wonder that Liverpool and Bayern Munich were courting him during the summer of 2011 and that Manchester United and Chelsea are monitoring him now.

Key Leighton Baines Statistics for 2012-13:

Games played : 23
Minutes played : 2,070 (every single minute)
Goals scored : 3
Assists : 4
Clean sheets : 4
Goals conceded : 26
Chances created : 77 (Premier League high)
Passing accuracy : 83%
Tackling ratio : 80%
Cross accuracy : 31% (68 from 216: highest amount of crosses in EPL)

At the time, Baines spoke of his desire to play in the Champions League (via the Mirror), the best football competition for club or country in the world.

"It wouldn't be ideal leaving this league," he said. "But I do have ambitions to get to the Champions League level and hopefully the tide will turn at some point and enable us to do that here.

"It would mean a lot to do it here. It has been a while since Everton were at that level and it looks a tougher task, given the money other teams are spending.

"I do have those ambitions to play at that level. Sir Alex Ferguson said this week that the Champions League is bigger than anything and it is. It is the pinnacle and everyone would like to get there. I will just get my head down and keep doing what I am doing."

Given those huge statistics, his thoughts on playing in the Champions League and his importance to the English international team, this summer would be the best time for the player to move on.

Having only turned 28 in December, Baines is still a viable option for many of the top teams because of his huge influence on the flow of games. This player map from FourFourTwo's Stat Zone shows Baines' importance on the pitch.


The Importance of Being Baines by FourFourTwo Stat Zone

Moves to Manchester United and Chelsea seem unlikely regardless of recent speculation (via the Independent) for a number of factors. Both clubs already possess world-class talents in Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole. United have also recently signed Alex Buttner as apprentice to Evra, while Cole has agreed a new one-year contract extension to keep him at the Pensioners until the summer of 2014.
That leaves Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as his other possible Premier League destinations.

City are a very real possibility due to the fact that both their current left-backs, Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, pale in comparison to Baines. Add in the all-important Champions League element of home-grown players and the prospect of Baines in a sky blue jersey becomes all the more real.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are very interesting in that Baines would seamlessly step into both North London-based teams. However, Arsene Wenger has 23-year-old Kieran Gibbs at his disposal, and it would be anathema to every philosophy he holds dear to oust an outstanding prospect like Gibbs for a veteran like Baines.

Leaving us with Spurs as, possibly, the chief rivals with Manchester City for Baines' signature.

Like Everton, Tottenham lean heavily upon the left side and Gareth Bale when initiating most of their attacks. Unlike Baines, though, Bale plays in a far more advanced role. If you consider that Real Madrid are more than likely to bid for the superb Welshman during the summer you must also consider that Spurs will do everything to replace the star.

Andre Villas-Boas has already captured Lewis Holtby for next season and there can be little doubt that the German U-21 captain will slot straight into an advanced midfield role.

Add in the fact that both of Spurs' current left-backs are average at best, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Kyle Naughton, and the capture of Baines would improve them defensively while also offsetting the potential loss of Bale. Put a dream scenario of Bale and Baines together and Spurs' left flank would be almost unstoppable.

The elephant in the room during all this speculation is Everton's finances. The club are £45 million in debt and only spent the fourth-lowest amount on transfers in 2011. In other words, the Toffees are now being outspent by promoted sides and need to balance the books through player sales.

Everton would, of course, be loath to lose the 28-year-old Baines, who is arguably their most important player. However, financial constraints added to his contract ending in 2015 make next summer the best time to sell their prize asset.

There will be no shortage of suitors. Each and every top Premier League side are guaranteed to be monitoring the situation, such is Baines' reputation. Clubs as far as PSG and Bayern Munich will surely also enter the fray, if and when he comes up for sale.

Everton's motto reads as "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum," it translates as "nothing but the best is good enough."

The motto rings through in its every meaning.

Leighton Baines has been the best left-back in the world this year and deserves to be playing at the highest level—he might just have to leave Everton to achieve it.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1493703-evertons-leighton-baines-deserves-to-be-playing-for-a-bigger-club

[zudomiriku]

How Long Will Manchester Clubs Dominate the English Premier League?



The Premier League fans sat listlessly as both Manchester clubs—Manchester United and Manchester City—finished yet another week unbeaten in the league. The latest results have now stretched the Red Devils' unbeaten run to 13 games, while the Citizens completed their sixth week in a row without a loss.

Even though both clubs performed below their standards in recent weeks, neither crumbled under pressure, and they continued their fine forms and extended their lead atop the table.

It is plain obvious that no team in the league can match the Manchester clubs in terms of league performances this year, and the title race has consequently become a two-horse race. Needless to say, both clubs have all but secured Champions League football next season.

Their dominance looks to be unbreakable. But is it really?

The truth is that the unbeatable duo hasn't been that great this season.

Although both have had little problem seeing off their opposition in the league, the Champions League has shown that they have to mature and improve their game before they will be able to create a duopoly similar to the one in La Liga with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Their feat in the league is remarkable, nonetheless. The Red Devils are nine points adrift of their main title contenders, Manchester City, and the Citizens are further seven points above the third-placed Chelsea.

Not to take anything from their success, but the Manchester dominance in the league has largely resulted from the sudden downfall of other Premier League giants, most notably Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The inexplicable collapse of the main title rivals combined with both Manchester clubs' heavy spending in the transfer market has created a huge gap between the pair and the rest of the league.

However, it could all change in a blink of the eye.

The defending champions look to have already handed the league title to Manchester United, and quite frankly, it seems only a matter of time before the Red Devils are crowned the new champions.

Manchester City's humiliating failure in the Champions League, their inability to sternly challenge for the Premier League and their early Capital One Cup exit will undoubtedly have consequences on the club's finances and, more importantly, on the manager.

Roberto Mancini was already on thin ice last season, but having barely won the league in stoppage time of the last league game, the club's owners decided to stick with him rather than find a new manager.

Should the Citizens repeat last season's failings and miss out on a major trophy this year—in all probability, they will—Mancini cannot expect much understanding from the club's boardroom.

All in all, the Italian's days at the Etihad Stadium are slowly coming to an end.

A managerial change will probably bring a period of instability to the club and weaken the team, and it could even result in a couple of star players leaving—a fate similar to the one Liverpool suffered in previous years.

Furthermore, finding a replacement for the outgoing manager will not be an easy task. The current climate in world football has left only a few world-class, top-notch managers unemployed, and signing one could cost a lot of money, which could present a problem thanks to the newly introduced FIFA Financial Fair Play rule.

On the other hand are Manchester United. Although more stable than their counterpart, they are also getting closer to their possible breaking point.

Sir Alex Ferguson has done a world of good for the club in his 26-year stay in the hot seat, but even he is a human; the Manchester United boss cannot continue doing the hard, stressful managerial job for much longer.

Once Sir Alex's time with the Red Devils comes to an end, the indebted club owners will need a new man for the job. But is it even possible to find a replacement for such a great manager?

After having only one manager for the last quarter of the century, the team will be heavily affected, and a period of transition will undoubtedly follow.

Whoever is brought in to replace Manchester United's greatest-ever manager will certainly have a huge burden on his back. Not only will he be expected to implement his own style of play, but he will also have to to continue the winning tradition established by Sir Alex himself.

For the time being, Manchester City and Manchester United are here to stay, but tough times loom for both clubs.

The Manchester duopoly could break down sooner than expected.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1515545-epl-how-long-will-manchester-clubs-dominate-the-league

[troy andreas]

Mudah-mudahan gak salah room

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Premier League Sepakati Pembatasan Gaji Pemain & Kerugian Klub

Detik.com - Mayoritas klub Premier League menyepakati untuk membatasi jumlah pengeluaran gaji pemain dan batas kerugian mulai 2013/2014. Pelanggaran terhadap aturan ini berujung pada pengurangan poin.

Terkait pembatasan jumlah gaji pemain, aturan yang dibuat hanya mengikat pada klub dengan tagihan gaji melebihi 52 juta poundsterling (sekitar Rp 787,3 miliar) di musim 2013/2014.

Jika sebuah klub sudah menyentuh angka tersebut, maka di musim berikutnya (2014/2015) jumlah pengeluaran untuk gaji hanya diperkenankan sampai berjumlah 56 juta poundsterling. Sementara di periode selanjutnya (2015/2016) jumlah pengeluaran untuk gaji pemain maksimal adalah 58 juta poundsterling.

Sementara soal jumlah kerugian maksimal yang boleh diderita masing-masing klub, untuk periode 2013 sampai 2016 jumlahnya adalah 105 juta poundsterling (Rp 1,5 triliun). Sebagai catatan, jika aturan tersebut diterapkan mulai musim ini maka Chelsea, Manchester City dan Liverpool dipastikan sudah melanggarnya.

Aturan baru Premier League ini lebih lunak dibanding ketentuan UEFA soal Financial Fair Play. Otoritas sepakbola Eropa itu mengharuskan klub yang berlaga di kompetisinya memiliki neraca keuangan yang seimbang antara pemasukan dan pengeluaran. Namun begitu, pihak Premier League berharap ketentuan baru ini bisa menghindari klub dari jebakan kebangkrutan atau terlilit utang dalam jumlah besar, seperti dialami Portsmouth tahun 2010 lalu.

"Para pemilik baru atau pemilik yang sudah ada, dengan perubahan kebijakan atau perubahan (aturan) kekayaannya ini....bisa berinvestasi dengan jumlah uang yang proporsional untuk mengembangkan klubnya. Tapi mereka tidak akan lagi menggelontorkan ratusan juta dalam periode yang singkat," sahut Presiden Eksekutif Premier League, Richard Scudamore, seperti dikutip dari Reuters.

"Klub-klub memahami jika mereka melewati batas 105 juta poundsterling kami akan memilih sanksi terberat, pengurangan poin. Anda masih bisa membangun klub yang bagus dengan pembatasan pendanaan yang bisa menjadi tantangan ini, tapi...aturan ini hanya membuat pembangunan tim butuh waktu lebih lama lagi, dan itu bukan hal yang sepenuhnya buruk," lanjut Scudamore.

Anggaran gaji pemain Manchester City musim lalu mencapai angka Rp 3,046 triliun, jumlah yang mampu memberi mereka gelar juara Liga Inggris untuk kali pertama dalam 44 tahun terakhir. Sejak Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan datang ke City tiga tahun lalu, dana yang digunakan untuk membangun tim sudah mencapai Rp 9,6 triliun.

Sementara Chelsea menghabiskan Rp 2,6 triliun untuk menggaji pemain musim lalu. Jumlah tersebut berhasil memberi The Blues gelar juara Liga Champions yang pertama sepanjang sejarahnya.

Keputusan untuk menetapkan pembatasan gaji serta kerugian klub dilakukan melalui voting dan tidak dicapai dengan suara bulat. Namun ketentuan Premier League menetapkan kalau sebuah keputusan bisa dijalankan paling tidak jika disepakati oleh 14, dari total 20, klub yang ada.

[zudomiriku]

5 Most Mind-Blowing Stats of the Premier League Weekend



Once again, the Premier League weekend provided number junkies tons of data to drool over.

After sifting through dozens upon dozens of figures from all of the fixtures this weekend, there are a few statistics that stick out as particularly unique.

The list starts with the most aerials in a Premier League match this season, minimal offense from Manchester City, a fearless and abundant dribbler, a perfect passer and a brilliant first half from England's top club.

The data used is courtesy of WhoScored, Squawka and Opta Sports.

107 Aerials


According to this tweet from Matt Furniss of Opta, Saturday's fixture between Stoke City and Reading had the most aerials of any game in the Premier League so far this season by at least 30.

Matt Furniss
@Matt_Furniss
Most aerial duels in a PL game this season - Stoke v Reading today....by a clear 30-odd. Long ball FEAST
11:31 PM - 09 Feb 13

Stoke held a slight edge in the metric, winning 66 of the 107 total aerial duels.

A closer look at each team and their pass types helps explains these extremely inflated numbers.

Stoke attempted 85 long balls and Reading 62, both of which accounted for 18 percent of their respective distribution attempts.

The old stereotype that English football is heavily reliant on the long ball was on clear display in this match.

7 Total Shots


Manchester City desperately needed three points to stay within relative striking distance of their rivals Manchester United atop the Premier League table.

While some look to blame Joe Hart for his goalkeeping error, their 3-1 loss to Southampton was a serious display of offensive futility.

City managed a meager seven total shots, second lowest of any team in the entire league this weekend. Of the seven, three were on target, three were blocked and one missed the frame entirely.

Only Reading attempted fewer shots (six). Every other team besides Manchester United, Aston Villa and Newcastle were able to fire off at least 10 shots.

8 Take-Ons Attempted, 5 Successful


In a world where skillful one-on-one soccer players are becoming a dying breed, Gareth Bale continues to buck this trend.

The Tottenham man combines powerful strides, balance, timing and quick feet to blow past defenders.

Saturday's victory over Newcastle was no different. The Welshman attempted eight take-ons and was successful five times.

He accounted for 50 percent of his team's take-on success. As a unit, Newcastle only mustered up enough successful take-ons to tie Bale with five. Simply put, he was a threat all game with the ball at his feet going forward.

Oh yeah, he also scored two goals. Not too shabby a day at the office for Bale.

100-Percent Pass Completion


Chico Flores suffered an ankle injury after about 33 minutes of Swansea City's drubbing of Queens Park Rangers.

Up until that point, Flores was having a perfect passing game. He completed 100 percent of his 31 passes attempted.

Sure, he only played a third of the game, but consider this: Ki Sung-Yueng was the most prolific passer for Swansea in terms of volume with 74. Sung-Yueng played all 90 minutes and averaged less than a pass a minute.

Flores averaged almost exactly a pass a minute and connected every single one. For 33 percent of this match, Flores was precise—literally.

40-Percent First-Half Conversion-Rate Percentage


Manchester United did all of its scoring on Sunday in the first half.

It was not as if they were peppering Tim Howard and Everton with shots, either. The Red Devils were extremely efficient with their shooting from the first whistle until halftime.

United trotted to the dressing room with a 40-percent conversion rate.

They had five total first-half shots: Wayne Rooney missed the target in the fourth minute, Robin van Persie hit the post in the 10th minute, Ryan Giggs scored in the 13th minute, Phil Jones missed the target in the 20th minute and van Persie scored in the 46th minute.

One can only imagine that Sir Alex Ferguson is dreaming about another ridiculously potent start to his team's Champions League match with Real Madrid on Wednesday.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1523948-five-most-mind-blowing-stats-of-the-premier-league-weekend

[kingherooney]

Mike Tyson Siap Jadi Fans Wolverhampton Wanderers
M Yanuar F 14 Feb 2013 15:24:00

Mike Tyson mengaku siap menjadi pendukung Wolverhampton Wanderers, karena mendengar ada kesamaan antara dirinya dan klub Inggris tersebut.

Mendapat informasi dari Joe Egan, sparring partnernya, Tyson melihat Wolves sebagai klub yang bisa mengalahkan siapapun, dan tiga tahu kemudian, tak bisa mengalahkan siapa-siapa.

"Dia benar. Saya pernah menjadi yang terbaik di dunia ke tempat terburuk di bumi ini," ungkap Tyson.

"Saya tak tahu banyak mengenai sepakbola, tapi sepertinya Wolves memiliki manajer yang bisa membalikkan performa tim."

"Ketika saya ke Inggris, saya ingin melihat mereka beraksi," tandasnya.
(http://www.goal.com/id-ID/news/2398/...pton-wanderers)
__________________________________________________ __
beralih karir nih om?? dari tinju profesional ke supporter profesional (liga inggris)....
Mohon dukungannya dari om. tyson...

[rondwisan]

Salah kamar tuh Mas Bro ...., Wolves khan di Championship division, not di EPL lagi

[troy andreas]

Katanya derby MANCHESTER, tanggal 6 April 2013 digeser ke tanggal 8 April 2013 yah?

Ane baca di super soccer