The 2025-2026 Football Thread

[Sal09]

Come On Fulham 🙏

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Weren’t Liverpool the last PL club to pull out of the north (thankfully) failed super league? I don’t think that we can call them blameless in all this.

It was a dumb move by FSG and cost them plenty of social capital with the fans. In the end they did respond to fan opposition, but I and many their fans have trusted them less ever since.

Had the whole thing gone through I would have been happy to put my support on pause for as long as FSG continued to own the club.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Come On Fulham 🙏

It’s Wolves I’m cheering on tonight. Really need them to beat Forest.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Wataru Endo, filling in for Liverpool at right back, has gone down injured and had to be replaced with Joe Gomez.

Right now Liverpool right backs are essentially about as lucky with injuries as Spinal Tap drummers.

Good result, okay performance, bad injury news.

 

[Sal09]

News coming out of Arsenal camp. No Kai Havertz for next three games.

Odegard, Saka and Havertz not available for tomorrow’s game.

What an opportunity for Eze though. We need that Eze and Gyokeres link up.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Good to see Forest dropping points. If that darn 96th minute goal hadn’t gone in we would be just one point from safety.

 

[Bodhitree]

An important win for Liverpool to keep the connection with the CL placings alive. Wirtz was looking as if he is in better form, Salah had a few chances but didn’t make them count.

 

[Sal09]

Dyche sacked as well.

Both Managers who replaced Ange got sacked.
Someone should have put a wager on that lol.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Dyche sacked as well.

Well I hope they appoint someone really rubbish! Nothing against Forest, I just feel it’s them or us!

 

[Sal09]

Well I hope they appoint someone really rubbish! Nothing against Forest, I just feel it’s them or us!

 

[Alphazoid]

Forrest sacking Dyche might not work out since he’s actually adept at keeping teams above the relegation zone. Granted his style means his teams rarely climb up the table.

But maybe Marinakis should’ve just made peace with Nuno.

Re-Spurs. Dunno why they couldn’t keep Frank till after we played them. Unfortunately for him, Spurs are just Spurs. Even Ange is having a pop at them

Rumours of Poch returning but I don’t think that will work either. It’s the players.

It’s not currently working out for Vinai and Edu.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Forrest sacking Dyche might not work out since he’s actually adept at keeping teams above the relegation zone. Granted his style means his teams rarely climb up the table.

But maybe Marinakis should’ve just made peace with Nuno.

Re-Spurs. Dunno why they couldn’t keep Frank till after we played them. Unfortunately for him, Spurs are just Spurs. Even Ange is having a pop at them

Rumours of Poch returning but I don’t think that will work either. It’s the players.

I think Marinakis should just manage the team himself. He’s never going to be satisfied with any manager long term (or even short term!).

 

[Sal09]

These two are also part of the problem both at Spurs and Forest.

 

[Alphazoid]

Reminds me of playing Stoke all those years ago

Oh well…

 

[Sal09]

Still Four clear and that is all Im saying until next time.

 

[Alphazoid]

Our attack really hasn’t been great in the EPL this season.

Gyok 8 goals
Saka 4 goals
Eze 4 goals
Odegaard 1 goal
Martinelli 1 goal
Madueke 1 goal


Halaand is having an off season and has been injured yet he has scored 22

Igor Thiago 17

It’s kind of crazy we’re still top. Defence and midfield can’t always be bailing us out.

Arteta’s next job is to fix the attack. We are seriously underperforming.

 

[Sal09]

Take a point and get out of here.

Thats me in the last 10 mins of that game.

Wolves next in the League.

 

[mrsmith1]

An appalling example of a double standard.

Ghastly.

Agreed.

Unfortunately, all too true.

Completely agree.

If Leicester deserve sanction, and merit punishment, then, so, too, - and to a far greater extent - do Manchester City.

I, and no one outside of the process know exactly what Manchester City have actually done.
We all know exactly what Leicester City have done.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I, and no one outside of the process know exactly what Manchester City have actually done.
We all know exactly what Leicester City have done.

Nothing good that’s for sure!

 

[daneoni]

Looks like Igor Tudor in at Spurs, and Victor Pereira in at Forrest

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I, and no one outside of the process know exactly what Manchester City have actually done.
We all know exactly what Leicester City have done.

Nevertheless, (what has been widely reported as) 134 charges (levied or levelled or laid against them) is not an insignificant number.

 

[Silencio]

Predictions, anyone?

...

Bottom 3:
18. Leeds
19. Wolves
20. Burnley

First manager sacked:
Daniel Farke

Mea culpa, Leeds United. I really got those wrong, though they're not completely safe from relegation just yet.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Our attack really hasn’t been great in the EPL this season.

When was our attack last great?

Gyok 8 goals
Saka 4 goals
Eze 4 goals
Odegaard 1 goal
Martinelli 1 goal
Madueke 1 goal


Halaand is having an off season and has been injured yet he has scored 22

Igor Thiago 17

It’s kind of crazy we’re still top. Defence and midfield can’t always be bailing us out.

Arteta’s next job is to fix the attack. We are seriously underperforming.

The problem is not just that we are underperforming in attack, it is that we have been underperforming in attack for years and years and years, season after season and that we still haven't taken steps to address this shortcoming.

 

[ivanwi11iams]

With many injuries, Eze needs to perform, period. We know what Man City are like, they will eat up that 4 point gap. In the Premier League, we really need to just be on it. No time for hiccups or mishaps...

 

[Alphazoid]

When was our attack last great?

The problem is not just that we are underperforming in attack, it is that we have been underperforming in attack for years and years and years, season after season and that we still haven't taken steps to address this shortcoming.

Fair point. 22/23. If our attack was even 30% of that we’d be out of sight by now. 2 wins in 6 is unacceptable. The last 2 games we won we played before City. And the rest after them. Jitters.

If we win the league, we would have done so by stumbling over the line. Rather than any form of imperiousness

I still think we’ll do it. Purely because the current City don’t have the ability to go on a 10 game win streak. And Villa don’t have the legs.

It’s funny how City didn’t have this perseverance to challenge LFC last season. And instead quietly fell away. But when Arsenal want to win it the football gods decide to give them some last energy and belief from the brink of extinction. Thanks to LFC at Anfield. Ludicrous.

Needless to say, if we fail to win this season then Arteta and the boys solely have themselves to blame.

The defence has done its job. Conceded the fewest goals and lost only twice. Even contributed goals.

The front 6 however, have been shocking. UCL aside. £180m worth of talent and only 19 EPL goals combined after 26 games. None have reached double figures in the league. Dysfunctional.

Havertz is the only one that has been forward thinking and actively trying to find Gyokeres any time he plays. And of course he’s injured again.

Personally, if City win the league this season I’m genuinely done with top flight football and with Arteta.