Barclays Premier League 2008/2009

The 2008–09 Premier League season (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) will be the seventeenth since its establishment.
Manchester United are the defending champions, having won their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season.

The Fixtures were announced on 16 June. The season will begin on Saturday 16 August 2008, and is scheduled to end on 24 May 2009.
A total of 20 teams will contest the league, 17 of which will have contested in the 2007-08 season, and three of which will have been promoted from the Football League Championship.

Starting with this season, clubs will now be allowed to name seven substitutes on the bench instead of five. This season is also different in that there will be no New Year's Day game, as is usually traditional. This is because the FA Cup Third Round is traditionally the first Saturday in January, which in 2009 will fall in the usual spot for New Year's league games.

The Teams For The Barclays Premier League - 2008/2009

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

Promotion and Relegation

Teams promoted from 2007-08 Football League Championship

• Champions West Bromwich Albion
• Runners up Stoke City
• Play-offs: Hull City

Teams relegated to 2008-09 Football League Championship

• Reading
• Birmingham City
• Derby County

Opening Fixtures On Saturday, 16 August 2008

Arsenal v West Brom
Aston Villa v Man City
Bolton v Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Everton v Blackburn
Hull v Fulham
Man Utd v Newcastle
Middlesbrough v Tottenham
Sunderland v Liverpool
West Ham v Wigan

i hope liverpool can win it.
Those guys are incredible and have great supporters but no success in EPL lately.

Arsenal could win it either.
I dont think chelsea or man utd can win it.

Fantastic opportunity for Hull, come on the Tigers!!

Liverpool simply can't win the EPL...They do not have the squad and to be fair Rafa is SH*T at signing players.

yeah i agree that liverpool's squad is not top notch. but i wish they could win it
they won Cl in 2005 and played in the final in 2007...

Hope your ready for the revolt because 90% of footie fans on Neowin are Kopites

I am West Ham and we are relegation candidates this year.

So you don't think we are safe in Mid-Table Mediocracy Mode? Hold on... What, you mean Curbs is still manager? Yeah I suppose you're correct...

I just look at all the signings last season, and think... Why? Just Why? I mean, has Nigel Quashie even played a single match for us? £5m for the superstar... Luis Boa Morte! West Ham are not safe from the drop until we get a manager that knows how to do business in the transfer market.

I know yeah, that Torres guy who scored 33 goals last season...crap player...

As a fanatical Aston Villa supporter I am expecting FAR greater things from Villa this year, with or without Barry! Thank God he at least wants’ to go to a decent club!

hey Zoom7000.. is is true that you will give Neil to us (galatasaray)
also how would u rate him as a defender?

I dont think west ham would relegate.. there are other teams that are weaker.

Not really. There are only a few Liverpool fans on here; myself, Sharpy and our lovely American hockey fan friend who we have not see around for a while! To be honest, there are way more Arsenal fans on this forum.

Yeah plus the fact he is not spending anything this summer because the owner doesn't want to give curbs anything other then about £200k for a 17 year old.

Well, that is Curbs fault totally. For buying useless players and paying half of them absurd wages. I mean, I know that the chairman is a billionnaire and has plenty of cash, but I wouldn't give it away to be "wasted" either. Frankly put, the manager needs to clear out half of the squad that are sitting around and just earning easy money doing nothing.

@George Bush - Yes, I do see WHU getting rid of him because the manager needs to cut the wage bill and frankly we can get someone as good or if not better for a lot less.

I agree we might not get relegated because there are teams that are weaker. However, we definately need to improve the squad or we will struggle.

So, Roque Santa Cruz cost under 5 million and scored 23 and it's not hard to look good with the players in liverpool is it Come on...

What are you even chatting?

I take it you are saying the general quality of the Liverpool squad is bad and it not hard to look good? Ok then, how come Torres is shining more at Liverpool than he did at Atletico? Or are you saying that our players are so good that it is easier to play better?

Get a grip. Reina, Mascherano, Agger, Skrtel, Alonso, Babel and Torres are hardly poor players, and form an excellent spine of any team. The likes of Benayoun, Pennant and Arbeloa are not top class players, but they do a good job.

Liverpool are hardly a poor team and you know it.

Yeah I know what you saying, its a shame really Bellamy wasn't fully fit most of the season or Dyer because I feel they would of been a big help towards the end where we were drawing and losing a fair few but I think now they are coming back to fitness and not forgetting Faubert we could have a stronger team but there are players who I think we would benefit without for example Boa Morte (he has never been good at any club he has played in), Neil (is earning to much and is pretty poor). Quashie (as you said Zoom has he played one game yet?).

thank you liverpool for giving kewell to us. He is a great talent but injuries are killing him. I hope he does not get injured anymore.

P.S. he just landed to Istanbul and welcomed by over 1000 Gala supporters.. WOW...

You are over rating...Don't care what anyone says...Torres, Gerrard and Reina are the only above average players at liverpool. The rest would not make first team at any big club.

I hope they surprise us like Wigan and Reading did their first season back!

Chelseaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I can't believe that Bellamy is our record signing. We paid more for him than Liverpool did. Liverpool only paid £6m and we forked out an extra £1.5m for a player who's known to cause trouble in the dressing room. I'm looking at a squad list and even Pardew started making some foolish signings towards the end of his reign. Davenport, Katan even Bowyer has always been mediocre. It seems we pay big money for players that should cost a lot less.

Anyway, back on to this season, we've just signed a 17 year old Icelander. Funny that, we don't have any Icelandic influence at our club do we? And I suppose we'll forever be linked with Gudjonsson until he moves to a different club!

Yeah I actually liked Katan its a shame he didn't settle.

It's not really the manager fault for the money situation.
Most clubs, it would be a matter of giving a list to your chairman and say these are who I want. Then from there, they can start finding how much they cost to buy and wage. Near on all of the money side will be done by the club and not manager.

That is why pompey raise some eyebrows when they sign a player or two, then release one or two. The chairman is making sure they can afford it.

Howay the Toon and Down with the Mackems!!!

Here's to another year of great hope in Newcastle, ending in very real depression!

I'm surprised that you have put that Reina in that list. Even though he has won the golden glove in every season in the Premier League, he is still underrated by a vast majority of people.

Mascherano is a class, class player, just watch him closely and you will see the effect he can have on a team. We missed Agger last season, and he helps link the defence with the midfield which is what we missed last season when we were employing Carra and Hyypia in defence. Babel at the moment is just raw potential, but he can be something hugely special in the future.

Jamie Carragher aint bad either!! and how can anyone say Xabi Alonso is not a top class player? however he is a Juve player now.. Liverpool can win it if Rafa decides on his first team and sticks with it! I think top 4 will hold their UCL positons at the end of the season.. any one can win the league.. I cant understand how u can count Liverpool out.. their defence is maybe the best of all the top 4 teams.. they have the best striker in Torres.. they should get one extra-ordinary midfield player with Xabi going Gerrard will have to take most of the responsibility so just someone to help him out and hold the lines.. oh they already have Mascherano.. what do you know.. its a complete team.. Penant and Babel are FAST at wings! and Torrres can run circles aroud any defence and score and most defenders can just watch him! I agree abt Mascherano with Marty.. this 'Liverpool cant win' talk is rubbish frankly!! If there is any other team I am happy to see winning bessides Arsenal its Liverpool.. so im a semi Liverpool fan too I guess... but Arsenal it the best!!! and no one plays football more beautiful than Arsenal!!!

Liverpool must offload Hypia ASAP if they want to be succesful. The guy is a disaster. Torres, Mascherano, agger, Reina, Babel, Pennant, Gerrard are all top class players no mater what you say. Perhaps you guys can offload Voronin and Kuyt. Kuyt is extremely overrated.
Also you guys could have hang on to Kewell, cause his injuries are gone and he will prove to be a great asset to Galatasaray...

Sign Tuncay Sanli from Boro.

Yeah! Kuyt is overrated and I think they already sold Voronin

1, Was not the same after the ankle injury was it?

2, They do not have the best defence LOL...How can you compare the likes of Hyppia and Carragher to the Vidic, Toure, Terry and so on... Sorry but after the show Theo Walcott put on even though it was tired legs... Come on.. It wouldn't of happend to Man UTD or Chelski.

3, Robin Van Persie, at full fitness can do the same as with Ronaldo.

4, True.

5, Damn right

I think it is just largely a question of the team coming together on the pitch and producing the results. We have the individuals required largely (although, not as much quality in squad depth), but we need the luck, guile and experience to win the title now.


Never watched many Liverpool games last season then? Hyypia was immense all season. Even though he is older than he used to be and his legs are not as fresh and pacy, his experience pays dividends. Hyypia, Carra, Skrtel and Agger will be great next season, last season we only really had Hyypia and Carra for the first six months.

Voronin came on a free, and is a "good" reserve striker. He is a terrible player for a top class club though, and I would much rather we blooded Nemeth than perservere with Voronin.

I have defended Kuyt many times before on Neowin, and I cannot be bothered doing so a game. Just put it this way, Kuyt offers a lot to Liverpool and you always need one player of his type in a successful team.

Kewell has cost Liverpool around £200,000 per game, and considering he has been at Liverpool for five years now that should say it all really.

if you are talking about me... i am canadian.. go reds!!!! please rafa prove me wrong, i want you to sooooooo badly. I want to win the EPL more the anything this year... forget the champions league.

you are not an educated person, you can argue that gerrard is the best midfeielder in the world and torress is the best upcoming striker in the world. Reina is under rated but he is still a great goalie.



kuyt is a machine, he played well all year and played awesome for the dutch at the euros. he is just a work horse, he runs and basically starts off every play for liverpool.

now only if they played crouch more, but to late for that

I'm not educated? This is the gimp who can't spell midfielder... F#ck me and to be in the top ten midfielders you have to be good at a club level and international level...Gerrard is not.

So, STFU and put that Babysham before you get paraletic .

Last time I checked in football it was goals and assists what makes a striker great, mate.. doesnt matter if he runs to his home in Holland and back.. if he cant score... he is and will remain an average striker.. So what did he do for the Dutch? one goal? They should've started van Persie with van Nistelrooy to score goals.. if he is so good at starting the moves.. they should try him in midfield..

about that paralytic**... funny mine was a typo you actually thought that's how you spell paralytic...

he has been the skipper at liverpool for god knows how long, he is always there when they need him. Always scores the big goals, has played well for england, and would play even better if lampard wasn't always in his way. He can take complete control of a game when he feels like it, has one hell of a shot.





for holland he may play striker, but for liverpool is plays more of a supporter role then an actual goal scorer. Also if you watched the dutch games, he set up at least 2 or 3 of the big goals. Remember scneiders blast, guess where he got the pass from? Strikers can do more then just score goals, he always plays staggered back from the striker...

Soo

So what you are saying is.. he is a better playmaker compared to a goal scorer.. my point exactly try him in the midfield.. oh and I said "goals and ASSISTS".. but you should be able to score and if you cant.. then be selfless enf to pass the ball to whoever can.. thats what all great strikers do.. its funny frankly.. he is a striker but he does not play to score

Sorry, but RVP is not in the same category as Torres, and surely not as Ronaldo. RVP just does not have the mental game to be a top class player, and he has shown it at Arsenal and for the Dutch.

I don't know about RvP being in the same category as Ronaldo when he is in full fitness. That is pushing it quite a bit there.

Maybe mate but to be fair Torres is still far far away from the Thierry Henry in his prime. Robin Van Persie is fantastic though...Start of the season it was like 8 goals in 8 games...Then he got injured

We will have to see, hopefully he will pull off a full season and show you wrong This season coming though I'm not really botherd about seeing the Torres's and Ronaldo's play..I want to see the Walcott's, Babel's, Dos Santos and without a doubt Eduardo.

I can't see our United not doing it again, because our squad is really progressing. Even though I'm a United fan, I'd rather see Arsenal win the title, if they could grow some b*lls. Domination would be nice, but I'd rather have entertainment, and United have another great chance to retain their CL title.

Relegation? Well, I can see Stoke and Hull going straight back down, followed by Bolton or Fulham or Wigan. The Brummies are a very decent side and have been in and out of the Premier every other year or so, they should maintain their status this year round.

As for top goal scorer, well it would have to depend on the transfer market. With the Ronaldo situation, we don't know if he'll be playing in the League next year and many other candidates such as the Drog, Adebayor, Lampard and just maybe Torres might move to different clubs. Certainly the Chelsea clear-out will have an impact.

And one final thought, Benjani!!! Sorry, but there are millions of better votes for top scorer next year than him. I know hes a decent player and had one fine year, but its like when Andy Johnson got top goal scorer a couple of years back. And surely players like Tevez and Yakubu have a better chance than him. And sorry about the mini-rant, I hate city!

United won't do it. Liverpool won't be in the top 4. Chelsea will be out of contention for the title by December. Some will become the next Derby.

All of this seems far-fetched right?

Far fetched but not impossible! Thats why we love football.. anything can happen!

except for that... the big four will always be the top four or damn close to it.

I think with the money in the sport these days the top four will remain the top four for a while. Not just because of the volume of the money, but the ratio of money shared out between the top and lower teams, because of this the gap will only widen.

I think if Spurs keep hold of Berbatov, they have a really good chance to bust into the top 4 under Ramos. I think it could be between Spurs, Everton and 'Pool for the #4 spot this year.

I dis-agree. I don't think the top 4 will be the top 4 for too long anymore. It won't be soon before another team joins in the top 4 and one drops out.

Anyways... do any of you people want any changes in the poll options?

It is "Wayne Rooney" and not "Rooney". Maybe that is being picky, but you have put the first names for all the other players!

Maybe swap Benjani for Jo as well? Michael Owen should bang in a few this year seeing as he is injury free.

I know there are a lot of Liverpool fans on this board, but I am surprised so many votes for them. They don't have the grit to win the PL next season, particularly defensively. They are a great cup side, and def top 4 contenders and have some great players: Torres, Gerrard and a very capable Reina. However, I just can't see them beating the strength and depth of the likes of UTD and Chelsea over the whole season. I feel the same about Ar5sna1.

For me, assuming Ronaldo stays, its got to be UTD. (If he leaves, however, it really does throw the title race right open).

Yes, I did vote for Tottenham btw

First of all, Man Utd are just not going to win it this year with Ronaldo or without him. And yes... I might swap Benjani for Jo too... I will change Rooney to Wayne Rooney... anything else?

Also reckon Villa are in with just as bigger shout at Everton/Pompy/City