1) New Signings.
With the transfer window upon us, you can expect every team to make a splash in the market. July and August are the two most active months in world soccer (aside from January’s transfer window for certain leagues), so expect countless players to be bought, sold and released. The purpose, you ask? Let’s say you have an underachieving club. These 2 months can be utilized to revamp the current squad, release deadwood on the roster, sell players to fund the acquisition of another player, or just simply to ease the wage bill. Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas to Manchester City will be an exciting pair to watch, along with Paulinho to Tottenham , Iago Aspas to Liverpool and American star Jozy Altidore joining Sunderland.
2) You Want Drama?
In the game of soccer, goals don’t come very often, but when they do, that 30-some odd minutes of back and fourth possession is well worth the wait. Don’t believe me? Just watch
3) Managerial Changes.
Several of the EPL’s top teams have brought in new managers for the upcoming season. “The Special One” Jose Mourinho has returned to Chelsea with a “happy” mindset after an erratic 3 year stint at Real Madrid. Ex-Everton boss David Moyes is out to prove the spectators wrong by showing Europe he can handle the pressure of taking over powerhouse Manchester United, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement after 27 years in charge. Manuel Pellegrini or “The Engineer” as he is sometimes referred to, has left Spanish side Malaga to take on an “exciting project’ at Manchester City. Many wonder if he can replicate the success former boss Roberto Mancini brought to the club. New Everton shot-caller Roberto Martinez departs from relegated side Wigan to properly stake his claim as a top manager, whilst Mark Hughes get his chance to prove himself once more at Stoke City.
4) NBC Has Broadcasting Rights.
Broadcasting giant NBC took over the rights to the English Premier League last October and haven’t stopped bragging since. 154 games will be aired on NBC Sports Network, 20 games will be aired on NBC itself and 22 games will be broadcasted through other sister channels like USA and CNBC, along with 11 soccer-steered programs set to debut this season as well. The New York based company also announced last April that on the final day of the season (May 11th, 2014) every game will be shown on their universal channels, which include E!, MSNBC, USA, NBC, CNBC and NBCSN.
5) Why The Hell Not?
Man, why the hell not?!
All the action of the new season kicks off Saturday, August 17th with Liverpool v. Stoke City at 7:45am.
