Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The 2025-2026 Football Thread

Everton has - after finally winning at home again - reached 43 points**, and I feel relatively safe that we're not gonna be dragged down into (yet another) relegation battle this season. Now with 3 of the 4 next games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool (and the 4th away at Brentford) I'm not really expecting us to grab that many points over those weeks.

It's been a bit weird season, so far, where we've taken more points away than at home (though this isn't unheard of for teams with a new stadium), I think just Arsenal, maybe, has more away points at this point, and if we can get a bit stronger at home this could be a very good season. And if we beat Liverpool at home in April, it would make up for so many lost points there lately. 😉

** Now, 43 points is a kind of "magical number" here, since - as far as I can recall - West Ham has the very unfortunate record of being relegated with the highest number of points in Premier League history, with 42 points (over 38 games), so - by all accounts - we ought to be safe now...unless a lot of teams start winning a lot more than expected the next couple of months... 🤞
 
Too bad Wolves didn’t have this much spunk when it actually mattered. I should be more annoyed, but Liverpool aren’t the only club to slip on this particular banana skin, and I deemed the season a writeoff months ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
It’s difficult to judge just from highlights, but Liverpool didn’t seem to create much today. Massed defence by teams still causes them problems.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
It’s causing everyone problems….but the four teams ahead of Liverpool in the table have had slightly better luck breaking them down.
Click to expand...

Then wouldn’t you say there are lessons to be learned from those teams? If you look at say the tactical flexibility of Man City and Arsenal, then there is a problem of playing with three dedicated attackers and three midfielders who score noticeably less.

I find it interesting to compare say Szoboslai and Gravenberch to Cherki and Reijnders, or to Odegard and Rice. Of course these things are about the people you get to play for your team, and how you develop them in training, and how lucky you get with the talent in your youth team.

But it struck me that Wolves defended well in numbers and looked dangerous coming forward at times, and they took their chances. To break down a team that plays like that, requires a certain iron grip on possession, and a good tactical mobility, and an ability to pose multiple questions from within the squad.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
It’s causing everyone problems….but the four teams ahead of Liverpool in the table have had slightly better luck breaking them down.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure I agree. Liverpool had a very flattering scoreline against us the other day. I think you have as much luck as the other teams.
 
Bodhitree said:
Then wouldn’t you say there are lessons to be learned from those teams?
Click to expand...
Yes…if we had their players and managers, we’d be between 1-4 places higher in the table at the moment! 🤣

It may very well be that tactics are an issue, but at the moment I believe form, age, and injuries are just as significant and you can’t tactically tweak those out of a squad.

I don’t think there’s ’one weird trick’ that would suddenly make Liverpool start winning all these matches.
 
Last edited:
The league has gotten tougher and is even less forgiving. Its more direct and physical and only Arsenal's squad was built for that since 24/25

City's squad had similar issues until they brought in Semenyo and Guehi along with the revival of Rodri.

And Liverpool's squad is not yet built for it. Heavily reliant on Salah who is done. Yet to replace Trent, Diaz, Darwin, Fabinho. An ageing GK who is now more error prone. And 2 CBs whose best years are arguably behind them
Jota also a big miss as he was the one who took the burden off Salah.
Its an unbalanced squad that still needs 5 players despite £500m spent
Slot hasn't helped himself by failing to adapt and/or standing up to Salah. Playing Rio and Frimpong more and whoever else was capable.

But Slot will likely go if he fails to get into Europe or win a trophy and i'd guess Alonso will come in and they'll recruit and go again in the summer
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Silencio and Scepticalscribe
daneoni said:
But Slot will likely go if he fails to get into Europe or win a trophy and i'd guess Alonso will come in and they'll recruit and go again in the summer
Click to expand...

Which is less a strategy and more an impulse. But that’s how football works these days. It’s a largely results oriented business, and much of what is written about the quality of the process is fluff. As managers often bitterly remark, when they win they’re a genius, when they lose they are a buffoon. Neither is actually true in most cases.

Plenty of Arsenal fans were prepared to get shot of Arteta before this season. Some of them are now singing his name.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silencio and Scepticalscribe
Lord Blackadder said:
Which is less a strategy and more an impulse. But that’s how football works these days. It’s a largely results oriented business, and much of what is written about the quality of the process is fluff. As managers often bitterly remark, when they win they’re a genius, when they lose they are a buffoon. Neither is actually true in most cases.

Plenty of Arsenal fans were prepared to get shot of Arteta before this season. Some of them are now singing his name.
Click to expand...
True. But will they be if (when) they end up being second again?
 
No offence to any Forest fans, but Halland returns tonight. I hope he gets at least a hat trick to help our GD compared to theirs.

But all academic if we can’t beat Fulham. We simply have to win this game as we won’t win against City ourselves.

Come on you Irons!
 
  • Like
Reactions: brucemr
Great that we won and are now only in the bottom three on GD. But I had hoped City would have beaten Forest. I hope they drop points against us when we play them in a few weeks as well. If Spurs lose tomorrow they really are going to be in the three way fight.
Forest and West Ham staying up at the expense of Spurs would make my year!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Big results today. That point proved vital for Forrest with West Ham winning.

And City dropping points whilst Arsenal win swings the control towards Arsenal who now have it firmly in their hands whilst City need help

Spurs are now officially in a relegation fight, with Forrest and WHU picking up points

Villa sliding down the table and could be usurped by Chelsea
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and Silencio
Pretty bad effort by United at St James' tonight. They have a lot of work to do to improve the squad depth enough to play 2x per week again — they looked leggy on 3 days' rest. Having to turn to Malacia to preserve things at the end was never going to work out. The guy is totally cooked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and Lord Blackadder
Not a good week for ‘Pool, but hardly a world beater for Villa and the Manchester clubs either. Late season is a grind.

The title race coming down to the wire…either Arsenal win and we can congratulate them for finally getting over the line and keeping Pep’s PIF Posse away from the title…..or…..the bottler memes return with a vengeance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Brighton and Hurzeler were actually starting to annoy me with their prematch and post-match antics. I’m really glad we’ve done the double over them

Throughout the match he was displaying some main character syndrome. Calling for cards and moaning to officials about every single thing. Meanwhile they committed more fouls and had more yellows.

Reminds me of early doors Arteta but at least he had the awareness to eventually simmer down

I really hope we get over the line. Because the media and some rival coaches are seriously getting on my nerves.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Lord Blackadder said:
Not a good week for ‘Pool, but hardly a world beater for Villa and the Manchester clubs either. Late season is a grind.

The title race coming down to the wire…either Arsenal win and we can congratulate them for finally getting over the line and keeping Pep’s PIF Posse away from the title…..or…..the bottler memes return with a vengeance.
Click to expand...
At this stage, (wood touched, fingers crossed, etc), I think that there is a reasonable chance that Arsenal may win the Premeir League title.

Win by suffocating others, while their fans suffer - this is winning as pain.

However, they will have done it the hard way and - bear in mind - that they have led from the front, and have been at the top of the table - for almost the entire season to date. Notwithstanding the occasionally mendacious reputation of stats, the table stats don't lie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back