Premier League Pre-Season Training 2015: Scheduled Return Dates
While Premier League footballers up and down the land will be dreading the prospect of returning to pre-season training, for supporters, the sight of their heroes gearing up for the start of a brand new campaign is a timely reminder that top-level football isn’t far away again.
Players will find it painful, drawn out and a bit of a reality check. But those fans that have gone a summer starved of English football have had to endure similar feelings since the end of 2014-15, with other major tournaments not quite living up to the drama of the Premier League.
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Some players, including Chelsea captain John Terry, have already got their preparations underway, as we can see here via his official Instagram account:
So here are all the details you need to know on when your team is back in action and a closer look at a couple of sides in desperate need of solid preparations for the new campaign.
| Arsenal | July 6 |
| Aston Villa | July 6 |
| Bournemouth | June 27 |
| Chelsea | July 6 |
| Crystal Palace | July 6 |
| Everton | July 6 |
| Leicester City | July 6 |
| Liverpool | July 6 |
| Manchester City | July 6 |
| Manchester United | July 1 |
| Newcastle United | July 1 |
| Norwich City | July 6 |
| Southampton | June 29 |
| Stoke City | July 1 |
| Sunderland | July 1 |
| Swansea City | June 28 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | TBC |
| Watford | July 6 |
| West Bromwich Albion | June 29 |
| West Ham United | June 25 |
Manchester United
After a year of acclimatisation was capped off with an address for the ages, Louis van Gaal is a popular figure at Old Trafford. But it’s imperative he begins his second season in Manchester with a swagger.
The Dutchman’s glittering reputation ensured he was afforded an easy ride during some low moments in 2014-15, but with the Red Devils set to spend big again, a title charge will surely be the minimum requirement for this illustrious football club.
Indeed, it’s an expectation that captain Wayne Rooney seems to be embracing, per ESPN FC:
It’s not the most difficult of starts to the campaign for the Red Devils either. Tottenham Hotspur visit Old Trafford on the opening day, but the United face winnable fixtures away at Aston Villa and Swansea City either side of Newcastle United’s trip to the Theatre of Dreams.
Van Gaal’s side started sluggishly last season, almost immediately ruling out the chance of any potential title tilt. But if the Red Devils can fly out of the traps and take 10 points from those opening four games, it’d set them up for a much more prosperous year.
Everton
One of the major disappointments of last season was Everton. The daring, engrossing and intense football played by Roberto Martinez’s men in 2013-14 was replaced by a stagnant style, paving the way for an underwhelming bottom-half finish.
Most of the issues that prevented the Toffees from pushing on can be traced back to a disastrous pre-season. The players conceded late goals in all three of their opening matches—including two against Arsenal in the final five minutes when 2-0 ahead—and never looked fit to last a full 90 minutes.
As noted by Peter McPartland of the Followtonians podcast, it’s so important the team get some strong preparations under their belt this summer:
If they don’t, the Toffees could quickly find themselves on the back foot. Remarkably, Everton play last-season’s top eight sides in the opening 10 games of the season. It makes the need for a strong pre-season even more pertinent if the Merseysiders are to challenge for a spot in Europe again.
It’s vital for Martinez too. His amicable nature and aesthetic principles have endeared him to many football supporters, but should Everton stumble out of the blocks once again, the Catalan could come in for heavy pressure.
