Heartland

WE'RE BACK! AND THIS TIME, WE'RE STAYING BACK!

Famous last words - I typed them with an expectation of disaster and being proved wrong, so don't blame me for jinxing anything

So many transfers and deals have gone down this summer. Some very interesting ones - Rodriguez, Doherty, Silva, Havertz, and not Messi. Bale and Sancho still possibles. Transfer window doesn't close until 5th October, but because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, will include a domestic-only period for transfers between Premier League and English Football League clubs from 5-16 October. One week only. That's the current thing on the BBC website, anyway. Make sure you've checked your team if you did it a while ago, in case they've all been sold abroad. Most of us are making one wildcard type clear out about twice a day if the gossip mill is running right.

Let's look at the fixtures then, and waffle on a bit in glorious technicolour:

Saturday 12 September 2020

Fulham 12:30 Arsenal I could say it'll either be a fizzer or a tea gone cold game. Might be useful in scouting for future transfer targets.
UK - BT Sport

Crystal Palace 15:00 Southampton Batshuayi back at Palace! Southampton still have Ings! Might be a good one
UK - BT Sport

Liverpool 17:30 Leeds The Reds walk on to defend the title. I really can't see them having to slow down much here.
UK - Sky Sports

West Ham 20:00 Newcastle Hmmm. Any ideas, anyone?
UK - Sky Sports

Sunday 13 September 2020

West Brom 14:00 Leicester Local Derby, but they don't hate each other as much as they both dislike Villa. Leicester to win.
UK - Sky Sports

Spurs 16:30 Everton Well now. This may be a classic. I suspect Spurs will learn some humility this season and it might start here. Rodriguez starting?
UK - Sky Sports

Monday 14 September 2020

Sheffield Utd 18:00 Wolves Two teams I have a lot of respect for. It should be very enjoyable.
UK - Sky Sports

Brighton 20:15 Chelsea Brighton may want to forget this one, based on paper. However...
UK - Sky Sports

Remember that Villa, both Manchesters and Burnley aren't playing this GW. Both Mancs needed 30 days rest after not winning in Europe, bless. It does mean that they will be back very fit next week though. MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T PLAYING THEIR PLAYERS THIS WEEK. Rotate, using your inner Pep.

Good luck for this season's marathon. Everyone hope that the finishing line isn't moved. Do vote in the poll even if you don't play in our league!

IGM NEED TO WIN THIS SEASON PLEASE AND THANK YOU

The BatCave is open in a socially distanced, very well disinfected cobwebs and well aired way. No daylight, though. No need to go too far.

Prepare to be thrashed

Bring it on...

Nicely summarised Miss....

Only fifteen hours left... that will be three hours of contemplation, cussing and frustration this evening. Ten hours of sleep. One and half hours for breakfast. That leaves thirty minutes of panic to finalise the team. And very little time to remember the password to log in cuz you forget it...

Bugger I clicked the wrong one...should have been the cat thingy...

this is where we are, yes

ROBBIE wrote: ↑11 Sep 2020, 20:22 Bugger I clicked the wrong one...should have been the cat thingy...

That kinda sums up FPL

All new, shiny VAR usage for the season.

Oooh. Different coloured lines for offsides!
Woot!

Here we go.
Good luck everyone

Wilf ya dancer!

It's been quite a day!

Vardy already chasing Salad for the golden boot

Spurs chasing JM out the door (hope springs eternal)

emilystrange wrote: ↑13 Sep 2020, 19:32 Spurs chasing JM out the door (hope springs eternal)

Have you watched any of the All Or Nothing docco?
I haven't finished it yet, but he does come across as quite likeable at times

i'm sure he is. but he's not right for my club and he hasn't found his forever home yet

Get JM back to Utd, they deserve one another

Swinnow wrote: ↑13 Sep 2020, 21:05 Get JM back to Utd, they deserve one another

f**k that! he'd be on my telly all the time then

as much as i have an intense dislike for man utd, i personally hate him more. awful, horrible human.

Well, here we are at the end of GW1, breathless and agog. Mostly. What happened where, then?


Fulham 0-3 Arsenal Arses get into gear with a good display by their stars Aubameyang (new 3 year contract!), Lacazette (I do like his name) and mini star Gabriel. Willian was an instant hit with 3 assists, which is not a feat often achieved.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Southampton Zaha with the only goal makes Steve a happy boy on the first day. Taking bets on the first 'Dammit, Palace!' but suspect I will have to use it more.
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds Oh my. How wrong everyone was. Though Salah was a sharp as my tongue, Leeds were no pushover and weren't even that dirty. Virgil had a rollercoaster game. Couldn't take your eyes off it! Congrats to the Salah captainers. Jamie Carragher managed to get in a 'He'll have to get used to that Koch' which had us chortling. Wiat until he's playing Holding.
West Ham 2-0 Newcastle I liked Newcastle's socks. Lewis (debuting, from Norwich) had a great game. Hendrick got the points for them.
West Brom 0-3 Leicester Vardy stole the show with a brace, the Baggies introduced gently to the Premiership
Spurs 0-1 Everton Rodriguez didn't do badly. Good goal by Calvert-Lewin. Spurs must do very very much better - Dammit, Spurs! Bale coming on a season's loan. Alli off somewhere, apparently. Anyone want a manager on loan? We nearly lost to Locomotiv Plovdiv (best name) tonight in a Europa League qualifier. It took two of their players to get sent off, apenalty and a scrambled goal to win. Bulgaria's 5th best team. Aye-de-mi!
Sheffield Utd 0-2 Wolves Two excellent goals by Jiminez and Saiss within 7 mins, and the Blades just couldn't get back. They did try, but not at last season's levels yet. Wolves secure their manager for a few more years.
Brighton 1-3 Chelsea Brighton's Trossard and Chelsea's James both scored screamers well worth a replay, but Chelsea prevailed without too much trouble in the end.

GW2 will have 4 more teams playing - the Mancs are back! So all those teams who had Manc players on the field last GW don't have to do anything WE TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!

Here are the tables - as you can see, IGM take pole position. Team, this is where we need to stay!



One team took the Yellow Jersey, Big Shout Out AND the H2H Crown - not sure that's happened in GW1 before. Congratulations Team WMS for a stonking 82 points.





Please all note that @Quiff Boy is SECOND in the league. This is a major shock to all concerned, but we're sure he will take it in his stride.

The H2H table, IGM on top again:



Off with you all to the Shed, then! Have a good time and DO NOT EAT THE LOCALS

This is a major shock to all concerned

but mainly to me

Well played everyone
Righto. Flurry of wildcards time perhaps?
GW2 is now alive