Rebecca Lowe on Opening Day: “Today is the day where each and every football fan is filled with that yearly sense of hope.”
Robbie Earle on New Manchester United Manager Louis van Gaal: “He’s going to be a story for the whole season.”
Robbie Mustoe on Manchester United: “It looks like their players are so thoughtful, so concentrated on their positions in this new system. They have almost forgotten to go out there and play.”
STAMFORD, Conn. – August 16, 2014 – NBC Sports Group kicked off the 2014-15 Premier League season today with Premier League Live on NBCSN at 7 a.m., followed by Manchester United v. Swansea City on NBCSN and mun2, Leicester City v. Everton on NBCSN, and Arsenal v. Crystal Palace on NBC and mun2.
Rebecca Lowe hosts Premier League Live alongside former Jamaican National Team Player Robbie Earle and former English footballer Robbie Mustoe. All matches are preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
Premier League Live (7-7:45 a.m. ET)
Rebecca Lowe: “We know it’s been a long three months but fear not, the Barclays Premier League is back and we have every single moment right here.”
Rebecca Lowe: “Today is the day where each and every football fan is filled with that yearly sense of hope. The day where each can still dream that this year will be their year...We are hoping that everyone’s alarm clocks are working this morning because you don’t want to miss this.”
On Tony Pulis stepping down as manager of Crystal Palace:
Robbie Earle: “You can kind of see an argument for both sides [former manager Tony Pulis and Chairman Steve Parish]. Tony Pulis wants greater control of the transfer deals and wants to upgrade his players. He doesn’t want to be fighting relegation again...What I didn’t see coming is the dramatic way - a day before the season starts - that Tony Pulis leaves his football club.”
Robbie Mustoe: “There are two sides, but I am firmly on the side of the football club. This is the club that gave this man the opportunity to get back into the game after losing his job at Stoke City... Crystal Palace have to be very careful, it seems to me that it’s very easy for Tony Pulis to walk away from Crystal Palace because he knows his stock is as high as it’s ever been, being the Premier League Manager of the Year last season.”
On whether the start of this season feels different from the start of last season:
Robbie Mustoe: “It does feel different. We sat here a year ago and we talked about how open this league is. There were lots of questions we had, different managers coming into the big clubs and wondered how they were going to get on. Well, we know now how they’re going to get on, they’ve been winners. [Manuel] Pellegrini won the league, [Arsène] Wenger won the FA Cup, You’ve got [Louis] van Gaal who is a winner, [José] Mourinho is a winner as well, Brendan Rogers would like to win, he’s been close, it’s a secure situation from the managers at the top. The race for the top four is going to be huge.”
Robbie Earle: “We’ve lost one big star in Luis Suarez but the league has gotten bigger and better…You can’t look beyond Louis van Gaal. We lost one in Luis Suarez; we gained one in van Gaal…He’s going to be a story for the whole season.”
The top three story lines to look at this weekend:
Robbie Earle: “Three promoted teams are back…we know how important home form is. They all have games at home in front of big, excited crowds, can they get three points? My second is West Ham v. Spurs, and I have had the fortune of seeing Mauricio Pochettino work in Seattle with the Spurs team…he was outstanding. Can he make his mark with Tottenham? The other one is Stoke City v. Aston Villa, and all I will say is Bojan Krkić - Barcelona striker to Stoke City.”
Robbie Mustoe: “It has to be Chelsea. What you’ve seen in the transfer market is great business for José Mourinho. He’s fixed the problems of last season…Arsenal, Alexis Sánchez, a player that I’ve watched for many years, I think he makes them better, no question…The other game is Newcastle v. Manchester City, the champions, and I’m interested to see the mentality and the attitude.”
On whether Louis van Gaal is enough to take Manchester United to the top of the table:
Robbie Earle: “Yes, to the top four, with this squad. I don’t think to the very top and win the league. He needs new players, extra players, particularly defending players to get that far up and to win the league.”
Robbie Mustoe: “You talk about managers like van Gaal’s experience and at the other side, [Swansea City manager] Garry Monk’s inexperience…we’ll learn a lot about this guy and whether he can make a mark in the Barclays Premier League.”
Halftime: Manchester United v. Swansea City
Swansea City lead 1-0
Rebecca Lowe at halftime of Louis van Gaal’s debut as Manchester United manager: “That renewed sense of hope at Old Trafford is currently on hold.”
Robbie Mustoe on Swansea City’s first-half goal: “The midfield of United was all over the place.”
Robbie Earle on Manchester United’s first half vs. Swansea City: “They can’t get it in to the midfield players. Their passing is slow [and] a bit pedestrian. They are flat.”
Robbie Mustoe on Manchester United: “I’m so disappointed with the tempo of the game for Manchester United. This is their opening day. The excitement and enthusiasm is there at Old Trafford with a new manager in place, but we have seen nothing in the attacking third, we have seen very little passing from the back into the midfield. It’s been poor…It looks like their players are so thoughtful, so concentrated on their positions in this new system. They have almost forgotten to go out there and play. Go out there and make things happen.”
Postgame: Manchester United v. Swansea City
Swansea City win 2-1
Rebecca Lowe after Swansea City’s 2-1 win over Manchester United, unbeaten in their six preseason matches: “And that is why preseason results should be taken with a large pinch of salt.”
Robbie Earle on Manchester United: “It was like last season’s form.”
Halftime: Arsenal v. Crystal Palace
Match tied 1-1
Rebecca Lowe: “It’s Day 1 of the new Premier League season and already we’ve seen the customary unpredictable nature that makes this league just so special.”
Postgame: Arsenal v. Crystal Palace
Arsenal win 2-1
Robbie Earle on Aaron Ramsey, who scored the late game-winning goal for Arsenal: “Always finds himself in the right spot. Always hits the target.”
Opening weekend coverage continues Sunday on NBCSN with Premier League Live at 7:30 a.m. ET followed by Liverpool-Southampton (NBCSN) and Newcastle-Manchester City (NBCSN, Telemundo).
NBC Sports Group will once again make all 380 games from the Premier League available in the United States on the networks of NBCUniversal, on the Premier League Extra Time bonus TV package, and streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra. Every MVPD has the option to carry every Premier League match on live television and via live streaming at no additional cost to consumers.
--NBC Sports Group--