Manchester United were never seriously threatened with relegation, not with the considerable gap that is between them (and Spurs, Wolves, West Ham, and Everton) and the bottom three, a gap that was - even before today - vanishingly unlikely ever to be closed.
The survival of Ipswich is vanishingly unlikely - almost impossible - at this stage.
I think what we are seeing become more prevalent in the premiership and the EFL championship is something people in the UK have witnessed and experience for generations and that is only the wealthy can survive and get what they want. We've seen it in schools, colleges, universities, in politics, in employment and that is those will wealth will always be the ones who get ahead of those who are not wealthy.
www.dw.com
Agree that this - the vastly increased number of games a player is expected to play per season - is one of the key reasons for the (clear) increase in the the number of, (and the extent of) serious injuries suffered by some players.I know some players are more important than others, and that injuries can take a toll on even the biggest and most complete squads out there, and put extra pressure on the (fewer) players that are fit. But making (some) footballers play more than 70 games a season (including national features) is just asking for trouble. That isn't sustainable.
Managers need to learn to rotate those big squads of theirs better.
Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae pushed beyond his limit – DW – 04/17/2025
After Bayern Munich's exit to Inter in the Champions League quarterfinal, defender Kim Min-jae has come in for heavy criticism. But the defender's poor form is symptomatic of a deeper issue in football.
Agree completely.
Gutted on both counts. City getting a CL spot and Villa not.
Unfortunately, Villa have had 'previous' in conceding goals after the 90th minute this season (according to the Guardian, they have now conceded eight goals this season after the 90 minute mark).
I cannot remember where I read it but there have been articles in the past about United failing to win the league because Roy Keane was out for the rest of the season due to a injury and ever since then it got me thinking, is this just an excuse for failing to win the league or is there some truth to it that out of a team of 25 players (a club has to register 24/25 players as first team players to the league every year) that one player being injured is enough to affect the whole team that they are unable to win the league? Such a thing should never ever happen. Because I have heard others say that Man City's season imploded when Rodri got injured and was out for the rest of the season. I mean come on, City have a club full of immensely talented players and yet they are not able to win games because Rodri is out injured!!!.
Absolutely a single player can make or break a team. Always have, always will.
But it shouldn't be that way which is the point I was trying to make. I thought managers had learnt by now not to think like that, to not build a team which is dependent on one player to win things but clearly managers have not learnt.
Here’s the thing. Let’s say your number 9 is a 30 goal a season man.
Which is why managers should rotate their squad so ALL the players get play time and experience because constantly playing the same players week in week out will only piss off the other players because they have to languish in the reserve team. Those players will soon get disillusioned at not being given game time that they will put in a transfer request.
There are certain players that would never be possible with. Imagine telling Messi, Ronaldo or Maradonna (in their prime) that this week they are going to be rested.
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