The Drop Zone

May 15 2020 - Football Returns in a Limited Way

Football is finally ending its hiatus --- at least in Germany --- so it's time for The Drop Zone to do the same. Zach and Galen are joined by Josh Eastern and Zack Singer, and we take a close look at the decision of the Bundesliga to return to action this upcoming weekend, including a discussion of what the implications are if they succeed, what happens if they fail, and what happens with the global game in either case. We also go deep in discussing the Premier League, focusing on the issues that have been raised by clubs and officials about resuming the 2019-20 calendar, when that might happen, and what it might look like. There's lots of other interesting items in here as well, including discussions about economics, society, and the realities of clubs and players across the world needing to figure out some kind of competitive model that will allow their financial survival.

March 2020 - COVID-19 Derails the League

The coronavirus has put nearly all sports across the world at a standstill, including the competitions most closely affecting English soccer. We discuss the various ramifications of the stop to the Premier League and Champions League seasons, and debate whether (and how) the leagues might try to resume the season in the future.

November 2019: A third of the way in

13 games have come and gone in the 2019-20 Premier League season, and the Drop Zone is back to chat about it. We discuss Liverpool's surge to the front and the atmosphere surrounding their title push. We also talk about the separation that the top 4 have managed from the rest of the pack, the travails affecting Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton circling the drain (but likely staying just out of the plumbing).

August 2019 Deadline Day Wrap-Up

The 2019-20 Premier League season is upon us, with the summer transfer window closing and the season starting today. The boys take the opportunity to evaluate the comings and goings of the league from a number of perspectives, looking at Arsenal and Manchester United's approaches, whether it was wise for Liverpool to sit this one out, and if Spurs did enough to close the gap with the top two. We also give our updated (but still not entirely final) Premier League finishing projections.

Technical Director Day - Mapping the Top Six

Zach and Galen take over the role of technical director of each of the top six clubs, and role-play through the offseason, talking about what each team's needs are, what moves they should make, and what direction they would take things. United needs a fresh start, Arsenal's reboot may have to be put on hold, Spurs need to buy more players this window than they've bought in the last decade combined, Chelsea can't buy anybody, Liverpool don't need much, and City have a major core replacement to ponder. All that and more, on this episode of The Drop Zone.