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This weekend will be a turning point for the English Premier League in the United States. For the first time in history, all ten Premier League matches will be available live to U.S. viewers.
Typically soccer fans in the United States have been able to see as many as eight live games out of the ten matches each weekend. In the past, we missed a couple of the live 10am ET Saturday games because there weren’t enough outlets available to show the games. But now with the demise of Setanta US and the relaunch of <a href="http://www.foxsoccer.tv" target="_blank">FoxSoccer.tv</a>, the broadband service from Fox has picked up the slack and plan on showing as many as four live games in the 10am ET slot all at the same time on different Internet streams.

So, for example, this Saturday soccer fans in the United States who have access to Fox Soccer Channel and FoxSoccer.tv will be able to see five games all at once: Chelsea v West Ham, Stoke v Aston Villa, Burnley v Wolves, Birmingham City v Everton (only on Fox Soccer Channel) and Bolton v Wigan. If you’re a FoxSoccer.tv subscriber, you can open each of these streams in separate windows and have your TV on at the same time to watch Landon Donovan’s last game for Everton. Or you can watch the games on demand via FoxSoccer.tv typically 90-120 minutes after the games end.
For those readers who are not yet FoxSoccer.tv subscribers, the Chelsea against West Ham game will be on Fox Soccer Plus while Birmingham versus Everton will be on Fox Soccer Channel.
But for those readers who subscribe to Fox Soccer Channel and FoxSoccer.tv, this Saturday will be a dream come true with the quantity (and hopefully quality) of games available for viewers to choose from.
To review the complete TV and Internet schedule for this weekend’s Premier League games, view EPL Talk’s <a href="http://epltalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule" target="_blank">Premier League TV schedule</a> for US viewers today.
The question I have for you is how do you plan on watching the 10am ET matches this weekend? Will you change your viewing habits based on the assortment of games available? Is the number of games available simply too much?
While you’re thinking about the answers to those questions (please post them in the comments section below), here are some responses from <a href="http://www.twitter.com/epltalk" target="_blank">EPL Talk readers on Twitter</a> who answered the question which match were they most looking forward to watching this weekend:
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Premier League History Will Be Made In US This Weekend

Premier League History Will Be Made In US This Weekend - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15244" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/landon-donovan-twitter.jpg" alt="landon-donovan-twitter" width="500" height="267"></figure></div>
If you’re looking for a list of Premier League footballers who have Twitter and/or Facebook accounts, you’ve come to the right place. After hours of research, EPL Talk has amassed a comprehensive list of Twitter and Facebook accounts for footballers of most Premier League clubs.
Last week,&nbsp;Manchester United caused quite a stir when the club announced that its <a href="http://epltalk.com/man-united-shuts-down-twitter-and-facebook-accounts-for-its-footballers/14922" target="_blank">players had been told not to use social networking sites</a>. Even cross-town rivals Manchester City got in the act when a club official said that <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1189794_united_and_city_warn_players_off_twitter" target="_blank">City players had been told not to use social networking sites</a> either. However, as you’ll see from the list below, there are a few Manchester City players who have official social networking pages. In fact, most Premier League clubs have a few players who have a social media page.
Before we reveal the list, however, we should note that these are the player’s pages to the best of our knowledge. There were many Facebook accounts for stars such as Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres that were unclear whether they were real or not, so we removed those from the list.
Drumroll please, here’s the list:

<ul>
<li>Arsenal
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1077619595" target="_blank">Gael Clichy (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=1159102228" target="_blank">Eduardo (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=627805811&amp;ref=ts" target="_blank">Fran Merida (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1196672697" target="_blank">Robin Van Persie (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Aston Villa
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/jamescollins29" target="_blank">James Collins (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/bguzan" target="_blank">Brad Guzan (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Birmingham City
<ul>
<li>None known</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Blackburn Rovers
<ul>
<li>None known</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Bolton Wanderers
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/stuholden22" target="_blank">Stuart Holden (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Burnley
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=783740366" target="_blank">Andre Bikey (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Chelsea
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/anelkaofficiel" target="_blank">Nicolas Anelka (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/julianobelletti" target="_blank">Juliano Belletti (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=1148247250" target="_blank">Joe Cole (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/Danny_Sturridge" target="_blank">Daniel Sturridge (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Everton
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/landondonovan" target="_blank">Landon Donovan (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/landondonovan" target="_blank">Landon Donovan (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=1040269468" target="_blank">Louis Saha (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Fulham
<ul>
<li>None known</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hull City
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/JozyAltidore17" target="_blank">Jozy Altidore (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=1276261734" target="_blank">Amr Zaki (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Liverpool
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/RyanBabel" target="_blank">Ryan Babel (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=581533970" target="_blank">Steven Gerrard (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Manchester City
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/StephenIreland" target="_blank">Stephen Ireland (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/OfficialMR2" target="_blank">Micah Richards (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/carlitotevez" target="_blank">Carlos Tevez (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Manchester United
<ul>
<li>None known (banned)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Portsmouth
<ul>
<li>None known</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Stoke City
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/JSBeattie" target="_blank">James Beattie (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/DelapSCFC" target="_blank">Rory Delap (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/Etherington26" target="_blank">Matthew Etherington (Twitter)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/RShawcross87" target="_blank">Ryan Shawcross (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sunderland
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/DBTheTruth" target="_blank">Darren Bent (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Tottenham Hotspur
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Benoit-Assou-Ekotto/48123069299" target="_blank">Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Facebook)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=672822004" target="_blank">Peter Crouch (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>West Ham United
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/TheRealGabbidon" target="_blank">Danny Gabbidon (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wigan Athletic
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&amp;id=1109617023" target="_blank">Charles N’Zogbia (Facebook)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wolverhampton Wanderers 
<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/mrjodycraddock" target="_blank">Jody Craddock (Twitter)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
If you’re aware of any Premier League footballers who are on Twitter or Facebook, please post them in the comments section below. The vast majority of account names above feature real Premier League footballers, but it’s possible that a couple of them may have tricked us.
Here are <a href="http://epltalk.com/7-reasons-to-follow-epl-talk-on-twitter/" target="_blank">7 reasons to follow EPL Talk on Twitter</a>.

List of 30 Premier League Footballers On Twitter and Facebook

List of 30 Premier League Footballers On Twitter and Facebook - World Soccer Talk

<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2013/05/09/manchester-united-facebook-page-lets-slip-that-david-moyes-is-the-new-manager-photo/man-utd-facebook-moyes/" rel="attachment wp-att-71810"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2013/05/man-utd-facebook-moyes-600x273-600x273.webp" alt="" width="600" height="273" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-71810" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>
Manchester United posted an <a href="http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&amp;newsid=6645155" target="_blank">announcement on its website</a> Friday that said that none of its players maintain personal profiles on social networking sites.
“The club wishes to make it clear that no Manchester United players maintain personal profiles on social networking websites,” said the <a href="http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&amp;newsid=6645155" target="_blank">note posted</a> on ManUtd.com. “Fans encountering any web pages purporting to be written by United players should treat them with extreme scepticism. Any official news relating to Manchester United or its players will be communicated via ManUtd.com.”
However what the announcement failed to mention is that several Manchester United footballers used to have accounts on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook accounts, but they have either been shut down or the contents on those pages have been removed presumably under the orders of Manchester United FC.
Our research reveals that&nbsp;Twitter accounts have been removed for <a href="http://twitter.com/RealWayneRooney" target="_blank">Wayne Rooney</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Ryan_Giggs" target="_blank">Ryan Giggs</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/Fletch23Rome09" target="_blank">Darren Fletcher</a>, while Facebook accounts have been removed for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/s.php?k=100000080&amp;id=592063168" target="_blank">Wes Brown</a>. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;contents of the Facebook wall for the following footballers have been erased: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685131235" target="_blank">Ryan Giggs</a> and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1171528145" target="_blank">Rio Ferdinand</a>. Pictured above is the wall of Ryan Giggs’s page on Facebook showing that the contents have been removed.
We can imagine why Manchester United would want to prevent its footballers from frequenting social networking sites. One, it’s a potential public relations disaster especially if a player says something controversial or releases information before it’s been approved by a club’s communications or PR department. Two, it encourages football supporters to find information about their favorite players outside of the official club website. Fewer visits to the official club website results in fewer opportunities to generate revenue by selling merchandise or website memberships. Three, and perhaps it’s the most important reason of all, it’s an issue of control. Professional footballers are under the control of the club almost at all times in terms of what they say, which members of the press they can talk to (if any) and what curfews they’re under. But social networking systems threaten the status quo because its professional footballers having personal contact with fans, the media and others, which could be terrifying for some football clubs.
While Manchester United is tightening the screws on which sites its players can frequent, <a href="http://twitter.com/safcofficial" target="_blank">Sunderland</a> continues to allow striker <a href="http://twitter.com/dbthetruth" target="_blank">Darren Bent</a> to use Twitter and he’s definitely building a cult following (29,000 followers as of press time). Reading Bent’s tweets is refreshing and gives you a better appreciation of the footballer. Bent has embraced Twitter to such an extent that he even has <a href="http://footballfashion.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/sunderland-striker-darren-bent-adds-twitter-logo-and-name-to-his-game-boots/" target="_blank">football boots with his Twitter handle and Twitter logo</a> printed on them.
In this world where professional footballers are so distanced from its fans, it’s a pleasure to see Darren Bent and other footballers using Twitter while clubs such as Manchester United (<a href="http://epltalk.com/official-twitter-accounts-for-premier-league-clubs/9262" target="_blank">who don’t even have an official Twitter account for the club</a>) are living in the stone age.
Here are the <a href="http://epltalk.com/7-reasons-to-follow-epl-talk-on-twitter/" target="_self">top 7 reasons why you should follow EPL Talk on Twitter</a>.

Man United shuts down Twitter and Facebook accounts for its footballers

Man United shuts down Twitter and Facebook accounts for its footballers - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14900" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/joe-scarborough-liverpool-tweets-2.jpg" alt="joe-scarborough-liverpool-tweets-2" width="469" height="157"></figure></div>
Count MSNBC TV host Joe Scarborough among the growing number of people who think Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez should be fired.
With Liverpool’s season seemingly getting worse each week, it was a bit of a surprise to see Scarborough, the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, mention Benitez on his <a href="http://twitter.com/joenbc" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>. After after some research, I quickly learned that Scarborough is a soccer fan and supports Liverpool FC.
In his tweet on Saturday, Scarborough wrote “<a href="http://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/7823764196" target="_blank">I am doing a Today Show at 7a and then will rush home to see Liverpool [play against Stoke City]. Thanks. (PS – Fire Rafa).</a>” He also added to his Twitter feed, “<a href="http://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/7827694118" target="_blank">It’s terrible at Liverpool. How did Rafa so effectively destroy the greatest club in English history?</a>”
Here’s what Scarborough said about Liverpool in his additional tweets:

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14901" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/joe-scarborough-liverpool-tweets-1.jpg" alt="joe-scarborough-liverpool-tweets-1" width="469" height="292"></figure></div>
In addition to calling for Benitez to be fired, Lucas Leiva was another target for Scarborough’s ire. “<a href="http://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/7827260986" target="_blank">Lucas is not good enough to play in the EPL, let alone on its greatest club</a>,” “<a href="http://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/7827588457" target="_blank">Words fail. So does Lucas,</a>” and “<a href="http://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/7827754849" target="_blank">How long does the Lucas experiment get in the way of rebuilding the greatest franchise ever? Does one game buy another two years?</a>”
While I agree with Scarborough that Benitez should get sacked and is destroying the legacy the greatest club in English football history, I disagree with his assertion that Leiva is terrible. The Brazilian didn’t have the greatest game against Stoke, but Leiva has been far better this season than last. Is he the best player for that position? No, but he’s the best they have at the current moment.
Lastly, here’s a clip of Joe Scarborough talking about Liverpool on-air from a previous season:

MSNBC Joe Scarborough Wants Rafa Benitez Sacked

MSNBC Joe Scarborough Wants Rafa Benitez Sacked - World Soccer Talk

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Soccer fans around the world have been trained to proceed with caution when surfing the Internet and recording matches on television for later viewing. The obvious rules apply about avoiding soccer websites, blurring ones vision when accidentally seeing a BottomLine ticker scrolling by, and avoiding contact with Twitter or friends who like to blabber what the latest score is in a crunch game.
But now we have a new venue to be careful when visiting. And that’s Google, the search engine that used to be pretty safe territory in days of yore.
So what has Google done to be added to the list of websites that soccer fans should avoid? Just last week they unveiled their “Latest Results” real-time search feature which brings together the latest up-to-the-minute results from Twitter, blogs and other social media sites.
The way the feature works is that it appears near the top of very hot and timely search topics and then, without refreshing the page, scrolls through the up-to-the-minute headlines. Take a look at the above example from this past weekend shortly after the 2-0 win by Portsmouth against Liverpool.
The Latest Results feature is wonderful news for soccer fans who want to get the latest breaking news so they don’t have to visit Twitter search, Friendfeed or other sites. But, and it’s a big but, it means that soccer fans who timeshift and watch games at a later time have to be really careful what they type into Google in case they accidentally see up-to-the-minute news on their favorite club.
What do you think? Is the feature something you see yourself using in Google, or will you be trying to avoid the search engine at all costs during times when you may be at work recording games and surfing the Internet?

Are Google Real-Time Results a Boon or Bane for Soccer Fans?

Are Google Real-Time Results a Boon or Bane for Soccer Fans? - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr.com/2147/2443498703_513146afd1.jpg" alt="" width="482" height="500"></figure></div>When I first heard of Twitter, I thought it was a dirty verb, like: “Get Twittered!” or “Go Twitter yourself!”&nbsp;(And maybe there’s still potential for that.)&nbsp;Turns out it’s a social networking website. And it&nbsp;has undeniably&nbsp;become&nbsp;the Next Big Net Thing.
In addition to allowing friends to keep&nbsp;up with&nbsp;each other’s day-to-day goings-on,&nbsp;all kinds of organizations from restaurants to sporting clubs to&nbsp;Ashton Kutcher&nbsp;are learning to use its free marketing potential&nbsp;to promote themselves. EPL Talk’s&nbsp;own The Gaffer uses it to keep folks current with our site’s updates.
But alongside the benefits, there’s plenty of&nbsp;room for error as well. Controversy arose this week when Tottenham Hotspur’s Darren Bent used Twitter to vent his frustration over stalled transfer talks. He&nbsp;reportedly posted the following items&nbsp;on his Twitter account:
“Why can’t anything be simple? It’s so frustrating hanging around doing jack s**t. Seriously getting p***ed off now.”
“Do I want to go to Hull City, no. Do I want to go to Stoke, no.”
“Do I want to go to Sunderland, yes. So stop f*****g around, Levy.”
There was speculation it wasn’t really Bent’s account&nbsp;(I was&nbsp;hoping it&nbsp;would prove to be Steve Bruce’s), but today Bent owned up to his posts when he apologized on Tottenham’s official&nbsp;site:
“I appreciate that transfers are seldom straightforward and are often complex. However, after a long period of waiting following my withdrawal from the plane to China, I had become incredibly frustrated by the time these things take and I posted inappropriate comments on my Twitter site.
“I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my better judgement. I regret my actions and did not intend to offend Daniel Levy or anyone with the nature or the content of my posting.”
Bent’s retraction aside, does this mean Twitter will play a bigger role in our football media terrain? Will we see players and managers&nbsp;using Twitter to wind each other up? Complain&nbsp;about&nbsp;refereeing decisions? Flush out transfer speculation? Will we be reading articles every week about professional football Tweets?
The possibilities are endless…
A_Zaki: I was completely onside. Linesman was drunk. Time to sulk.
RafaBeni:&nbsp;Getting nervous. Bought Xabi case of&nbsp;Rioja in case he’s on fence.
Fergie99: TiVo’ed Rafa’s latest press conference. Hoping for rant pt 2. 
BexInLA: Took Landon bowling to ease tension. Kicked his arse. Oops.
City_Hughes: Players in place. Time to shop for chemistry.
J_Barton: Anybody know a good lawyer?
In 1998, when I started going to the University of New Hampshire, AOL Instant Messenger was the big rage. We were bent over our computers all hours of the day, keeping up with old&nbsp;friends from home and&nbsp;getting to know new ones at school.&nbsp;I&nbsp;remember many the&nbsp;awkward moments and endless misunderstandings that come too easily&nbsp;with such brief,&nbsp;faceless, voiceless interaction. We learned&nbsp;some&nbsp;big lessons. Like: sarcasm is hard to convey over the internet. And: always talk about the big issues in person.&nbsp;Eventually, we succumbed to communicating using the away message function&nbsp;(the message&nbsp;one left when away from&nbsp;Instant Messanger: at the library… at the dining hall… surfing for porn…) in an attempt to avoid&nbsp;the&nbsp;real-time&nbsp;electronic faux pas. These “status updates” became the template for today’s Tweets. 
Later, this&nbsp;desire for online social networking&nbsp;gave birth to sites like Friendster, MySpace and&nbsp;Facebook. Each one seemed to catch on for a while before getting knocked off the perch by the next. But Twitter seems to reach all the way back&nbsp;to Instant Messenger and amplify&nbsp;that concept&nbsp;to a mass scale.
Bent’s comments might have once been some quiet griping to personal friends. No story there. But today it gets broadcast the world over. Anyone who’s paying attention gets wind of his complaints. And it ends up on all the media sites as the controversy du jour. 
As we demand more and more information in shorter and shorter bursts, it’s easy to get caught in the stream. The lesson those in the public arena need to learn—similar to what&nbsp;we students&nbsp;learned at University long ago—is despite the ease of transmission, you need to watch your words. Now&nbsp;more than ever. The world is potentially listening.
Oh, by the way…&nbsp;keep an eye&nbsp;my upcoming can’t-live-without-it&nbsp;social networking site: TweetMySpaceBookster.com™. It’s going to be huge. Coming soon to a laptop near you.

Darren Bent's Rant Goes A-Twitter

Darren Bent's Rant Goes A-Twitter - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from Twitter. Find out about all the news related to Twitter on worldsoccertalk.com

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Darren Bent's Rant Goes A-Twitter