The 2025-2026 Football Thread

[martint235]

I have some cousins that live in Australia who came to visit many many years ago. We got talking about football and naturally I asked them about their football, how it worked, the leagues, what trophies they can win, stuff like that and when they spoke about the A-league final series I was a bit perplexed. I could not wrap my head around the fact the A-league can have a league winner and a league champion for the same league. The one question they could not answer or did not want to answer because it was too awkward is that which one does Australian soccer fans think is more important, being league winner or league champion. I thought it silly back then and I still think the A-league final series is silly idea.

I don’t know much about the A League but English Rugby League has the concept of League winners (I think it’s called the Shield) but then the top 6 play off until the Grand Final. My understanding is winning the Grand Final is most important or at least I’ve never heard anyone say “We may have lost at Old Trafford but we won the Shield”

 

[Silencio]

"League winner" and "League champion" sounds like American sports, where you can win your league with the best record in the regular season, but go into the playoffs and someone else can win that postseason tournament, which is seen as the more prestigious achievement.

I think I prefer the league champion and separate cup competitions, but the high stakes of postseason tournaments have a different kind of tension that can be more fun and interesting.

 

[martint235]

I think we may have had it briefly in the UK but I’d like to bring back involving a team due to be relegated in the promotion play off. Kind of a last chance to save yourself. So for example top 2 from the Championship go to the Premier League. Bottom two from Premier League go down. Places 3,4 and 5 from the Championship and place 18 in the premier league play off for the last PL place.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I think we may have had it briefly in the UK but I’d like to bring back involving a team due to be relegated in the promotion play off. Kind of a last chance to save yourself. So for example top 2 from the Championship go to the Premier League. Bottom two from Premier League go down. Places 3,4 and 5 from the Championship and place 18 in the premier league play off for the last PL place.

This is exactly how it's done in Norway, and it brings an extra tension to the post-season.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think we may have had it briefly in the UK but I’d like to bring back involving a team due to be relegated in the promotion play off. Kind of a last chance to save yourself. So for example top 2 from the Championship go to the Premier League. Bottom two from Premier League go down. Places 3,4 and 5 from the Championship and place 18 in the premier league play off for the last PL place.

Definitely not for me. Increases the gap between PL and Championship if one team can finish 18th and still stay up.

 

[laptech]

I think we may have had it briefly in the UK but I’d like to bring back involving a team due to be relegated in the promotion play off. Kind of a last chance to save yourself. So for example top 2 from the Championship go to the Premier League. Bottom two from Premier League go down. Places 3,4 and 5 from the Championship and place 18 in the premier league play off for the last PL place.

There is not enough calendar days in a season for more games. I know many players get multimillion £££ a year in wages but even they deserve some time off.

 

[timber]

Only now did I notice that MU and Arsenal will start by facing each other.
That should be fun.

 

[martint235]

There is not enough calendar days in a season for more games. I know many players get multimillion £££ a year in wages but even they deserve some time off.

It’s only 2 more games if they are lucky. Chances are a team in PL relegation won’t be in Europe or the latter stages of the cups. There won’t be any change for Championship clubs

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

I have some cousins that live in Australia who came to visit many many years ago. We got talking about football and naturally I asked them about their football, how it worked, the leagues, what trophies they can win, stuff like that and when they spoke about the A-league final series I was a bit perplexed. I could not wrap my head around the fact the A-league can have a league winner and a league champion for the same league. The one question they could not answer or did not want to answer because it was too awkward is that which one does Australian soccer fans think is more important, being league winner or league champion. I thought it silly back then and I still think the A-league final series is silly idea.

Yeah, I’m not a fan of the playoffs system, but it’s a very common thing in Aussie apparently.

They use the same system in the A-League, NRL (Rugby League) and Aussie Rules, from what I can tell.

The ultimate winner of the A-League is the one that wins the finals series and raises the toilet seat (A-League trophy), regardless of how the actual season has gone

Auckland only lost two games last season, but faltered in the semi final and were knocked out despite being the season’s best team and ultimate winners of the league.

I don’t like it. I never have. They also have the equivalent of the FA Cup as a separate comp too, but that’s mostly played in pre season.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Meanwhile, despite my lack of interest, Bournemouth are taking it to Liverpool, who sat comfortably on their lead for too long.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Meanwhile, despite my lack of interest, Bournemouth are taking it to Liverpool, who sat comfortably on their lead for too long.

Bournemouth have (deservedly) clawed back a two goal deficit, where they trailed Liverpool (at Anfield, no less) by two goals, and are now equal, at two goals apiece, with 87 minutes having been played.

Ah, damn and double damn; Liverpool scored a third goal in the 88th minute, and now lead by three goals to two.

To my mind, Bournemouth deserve a point, but, as is the way of such things, may yet end up empty-handed when the game ends.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Damn.

Liverpool have now scored a fourth goal, (Salah) on the 94th minute (there are six minutes of extra time).

Can't see Bournemouth coming back from that.

C'est fini, malheureusement.

 

[martint235]

Damn.

Liverpool have now scored a fourth goal, (Salah) on the 94th minute (there are six minutes of extra time).

Can't see Bournemouth coming back from that.

C'est fini, malheureusement.

It’s always good to start the season with a scare and a win. Lose or draw your first game and it completely kills all talk of a 100% season. YNWA

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It’s always good to start the season with a scare and a win. Lose or draw your first game and it completely kills all talk of a 100% season. YNWA

Indeed.

Bournemouth are a well run, well managed team (the sort of team that tends to be described as part of the Premier League's "middle class"), are difficult to play against and defeat, (indeed, they were the only team that defeated Arsenal both home and away last season), and, having come back from a two goal deficit - at Anfield, no less - against the reigning League champions, my own view is that they deserved a point. Until the 88th minute, at least.

However, Liverpool - the reigning champions - were playing their opening game of the season in defence of their title at home, and have already spent a veritable fortune during the transfer window as Slot seeks to impose his own vision (rather than Klopp's inherited vision) on the squad, and thus, had much to prove.

 

[Madonepro]

Phil Parkinson seems to be playing the same non-league style football in the Championship, which will not go well longer-term.

Worked for Wimbledon for many years. 😉

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Mind you, it also struck me that the impact of - and recent memory of - Diogo Jota's tragic death (his family attended the match) must also have been a motivating factor in Liverpool's performance.

 

[daneoni]

Think it was just a case of quality vs less quality.

Other teams have been very motivated and still come up short

The game also showed why Liverpool are after Guehi and that Wirtz has work to do

 

[martint235]

Just watching the build up to Villa v Newcastle. Crouch and Cole both think the top 5 is pretty much done which is hard to argue against but I think the rest of the games have entertainment potential not just in table terms but also I think the quality of the football could be a lot better

 

[Apple fanboy]

Worked for Wimbledon for many years. 😉

It did but I think the game has evolved since the Crazy gang days somewhat.

 

[Madonepro]

Mind you, it also struck me that the impact of - and recent memory of - Diogo Jota's tragic death (his family attended the match) must also have been a motivating factor in Liverpool's performance.

I'm assuming, that with the turnover at the club, quite a few players, and new ones returning, and as Slot said on the Sky Sport post match pitch interview, a number of players returned late, due to other commitments, that it takes time to gel, and work out systems and positioning that works. The Slot interview was also great, because he talked about how the referees played their part, by letting the game flow.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Watched some of the Championship matches this morning. My Peacock app is on the fritz, so no Liverpool/Prem this week. And right after they hiked subscription prices...nice job, fellas, that's a very 2020s move. Once it hits $20 a month I'm out. So probably next year, the way things are going.

Wrexham are not going to get out of the championship...this is where the fairytale ends. Not that becoming a second division staple would be a bad thing. But getting promoted out of non-league/lower league football is one thing; becoming a (sustainable) premier league club is something else entirely. With the caveat of course that if Ryan and Rob can suck in an order of magnitude more external funding, the sky's the limit. Are there any Middle Eastern states that feel they've missed the train on club ownership? I hope (for their own sake) they don't go that route, because they'll truly have to sell their souls to do it.

In the meantime, watching them get schooled by the Baggies suggests they have much more basic issues to iron out or they will be relegation fodder. Every club in the championship is going to absolutely relish the opportunity to go to Wrexham and see the owners' long faces up in the box after another drubbing.

Eight goals in the Derby - Coventry match, that's value for money.

 

[wordsworth]

That’s a good result for Sunderland today: three goals against West Ham for the Premier League returnees. Should help give them confidence for the next few games. Spurs win too, though the Aston Villa/Newcastle draw sounded like an early season snoozefest.

Another season… another Football Thread to enjoy. May we have plenty to chew over as the months go by – such as tomorrow’s Manchester United v Arsenal game. I am unable to muster a prediction on this one though United are usually slow starters and last season never really got started at all. Maybe this season? Good new signings for the Red Devils.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Whatever about other teams playing today, I really (given those 115 charges still suspended somewhere in the ether, and my deep dislike - nay, detestation - of the state ownership model for football clubs, never thought I would harbour the slightest degree of, perhaps, misplaced nostalgia for the days of oligarchs owning football clubs) would love to see Manchester City defeated.

However, given that they currently lead Wolves by four goals to nil (and are playing away), unfortunately, this is most unlikely to happen.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I knew as soon as I saw the fixture list that away to a newly promoted Sunderland was going to be a loss.

At least Wolves are keeping us off the bottom of the table!

 

[Bodhitree]

I enjoyed the 12 minute highlights of the Liverpool game on YouTube, just long enough to capture the high points and some of the ebb and flow of the game, and short enough to be enjoyed with morning coffee. I hope Arne Slot’s second season in charge is going to be as successful as the first.

But I was sad to see that Feyenoord went out of the Champions League qualifying with a 5-2 away loss against Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe. They had the 2-1 home win in the first leg, but some dreadful defending let them down. They needed to get to the group stages really if they wanted to prove that Van Persie could get more from this side than a third-place Eredivisie finish.