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The 2025-2026 Football Thread

Alphazoid said:
Saliba and Rice are the only 2 that can walk away with their heads held high. Saliba in particular gave everything to keep Haaland in check.

Our attack is broken and needs a refresh. Havertz doesn’t work in midfield he’s too tentative. Saka needs a month off. Martinelli only has pace. Trossard can be marked out easily. Madueke falls flat against better defenders. Dowman, Eze and Odegaard are the ones that can create something from nothing and have guile on the ball. Gyokeres is messy. And Jesus is no longer a top 6 striker.

I just hope the boys get their heads screwed on and take control of the narrative again.

I would be supremely pissed if we let the wheels come off now. City haven’t deserved anything this season. Simply vultures capitalising on our slip ups. We let them back in the title race and gave them a trophy.
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It is not just that our attack was - and is - broken, rather, it is that it has never been fixed.

Unfortunately, this is not - not in any way - a new, or fresh, problem, and the solutions (Havertz has good positional play, and is a hard worker, but he is not - despite the delusions of and endless support from Arteta - a striker, either naturally, or by means of a futile attempt to mould him as such), and Gyokeres is learning that Premier League competition is a very considerable step up from a world which he dominated - are inadequate for the tasks required.

Worse, Jesus has never been the same since he was injured in the World Cup a few years ago. Martinelli and Trossard are both very good, but not quite good enough for the very top level, while Saka is almost burned out.

Agree completely with what you have written about City.
 
I find it very telling that City were disposed of, and pretty easily over two legs, by Real Madrid, and now they put together a sharp win against Arsenal, who might still end up facing Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Are the margins at the top really that small? Is the competition more than a crap shoot?
 
To me its simpler than that. Real Madrid performed with confidence/belief, whilst Arsenal didn't. Because their nerves/inexperience kicked in.

Won't be surprised if Arsenal go on to beat City at the Etihad. Especially if the gap is still 6pts at that point i.e. when there is no pressure.
 
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So City won the Carbao Cup yesterday, congrats to them. But all this negativity being furnished by Arsenal fans on social media (not in here) I really don’t get it.

It’s just a blip. Im not sad that we lost but Im disappointed that we didn’t turn up in the second half.

I would trade all the Cup Finals for Premier League. I literally don’t care about FA Cup or Champions League either. Win the ****ing Premier League.

Usually I hate International Breaks but this one is godsend. Time to pull ourselves together and go again in few weeks time. It’s a shame that Arteta cannot fly them out to Dubai this year for little break.

p.s I hope the Arsenal Kit Man fix them medals to their lockers for rest of the season to fire them up.
 
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Sal09 said:
So City won the Carbao Cup yesterday, congrats to them. But all this negativity being furnished by Arsenal fans on social media (not in here) I really don’t get it.

It’s just a blip. Im not sad that we lost but Im disappointed that we didn’t turn up in the second half.
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It wasn't so much the defeat as the manner of the defeat that irks and disappoints; we didn't compete, and have no-one to blame (not the ref, the ball, the state of the pitch, injuries, etc etc) for the result except for ourselves.
Sal09 said:
I would trade all the Cup Finals for Premier League. I literally don’t care about FA Cup or Champions League either. Win the ****ing Premier League.
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Agreed.

Forget the delusional dreams of a quadruple; forget everything except winning the Premier League - and anything else after that is a bonus.

Lord Blackadder said:
Despite all the quadruple talk up to this point, I don't think I've heard one single Gooner saying they'd rather win anything other than the league, given the choice.
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Exactly.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
It wasn't so much the defeat as the manner of the defeat that irks and disappoints; we didn't compete, and have no-one to blame (not the ref, the ball, the state of the pitch, injuries, etc etc) for the result except for ourselves.

Agreed.

Forget the delusional dreams of a quadruple; forget everything except winning the Premier League - and anything else after that is a bonus.


Exactly.
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You wouldn't settle for 3 cups and SECOND in the PL? You know its your favourite spot!
 
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A quick check and I surprised Arsenal aren't the team most likely to finish second based on history.

1774297133333.png
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
Man Utd so dominated the first decade of the Premier League that they never once finished below 3rd until 2013-2014. So you have to put those numbers into that context. Since that point they've only finished as high as 2nd twice.
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We finished 3rd once in the old 1st division. Behind your lot and Everton.
 
Apple fanboy said:
85/86. A long time ago now.
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Indeed.

Yet, quite some time ago, although I remember it well.

Yesterday, my driver reminded me that he was born in 2004, - that drew shocked gasps from me - but he is wonderfully interested in everything we do, and say, participating with fascination in our conversations, and also in everyone that we meet as part of our work.
 
I saw a funny interview yesterday. Harry Redknapp was being interviewed about when he managed West Ham. He recounted a story of a pre season friendly at Oxford United. A particular mouthy fan kept telling him what was wrong with the team. Especially Lee Chapman up front! Anyway it gets to halftime and he has played all the subs and someone got injured. So Harry turns to the fan and says, if you play half as well as you talk, you’ll do ok. Instructed the kit man to give him a kit and brought him on.

Not sure if it’s true or not, but it made me chuckle.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
I saw a funny interview yesterday. Harry Redknapp was being interviewed about when he managed West Ham. He recounted a story of a pre season friendly at Oxford United. A particular mouthy fan kept telling him what was wrong with the team. Especially Lee Chapman up front! Anyway it gets to halftime and he has played all the subs and someone got injured. So Harry turns to the fan and says, if you play half as well as you talk, you’ll do ok. Instructed the kit man to give him a kit and brought him on.

Not sure if it’s true or not, but it made me chuckle.
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That is funny, and I would imagine that it served to silence that mouthy fan pretty promptly.
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
www.theguardian.com

‘I will never walk alone’: Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool on free transfer at end of season

Mohamed Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing to a close one of the greatest careers in the club’s storied history
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

TBH, Liverpool should never have renewed the contract last Summer, IMHO.
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Agreed. He just hasn’t been the player he was. Always hard for a club and a player to agree when to let their legends go.

Sadly most of ours get stolen away well before that…..
 
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Mitthrawnuruodo said:
www.theguardian.com

‘I will never walk alone’: Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool on free transfer at end of season

Mohamed Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing to a close one of the greatest careers in the club’s storied history
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

TBH, Liverpool should never have renewed the contract last Summer, IMHO.
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I was ambivalent at the time - was fine to have him stay but not excited about wages that reflected past rather than current performances.

At the end of the day he was originally purchased for pocket change, and the club got their money's worth out of him. No regrets, even if he stayed one season 'too long.'

Edit: also, in spite of how the headlines are being worded, is anyone really ‘shocked’ at this? Maybe I’m too close to the club, but Salah has clearly been glancing at the exit for awhile now.
 
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I think there’s a fair chance that with the right transfer Salah may flourish at a new club, Liverpool may still pocket a fair chunk of change for him. I thought the contract extension was smart, look to see if he could repeat last seasons performance, and maybe get a decent fee for him if not. Maybe Saudi or Turkey or even MLS.

On the topic of Man Utd, they only won the Champions League twice in their glory years, in 98-99 and 07-08. For me, a period of at least three successive titles in the Champions League is what signals a truly great club, like Real Madrid in the 50s, Ajax and Bayern Munich in the 70s, and Real Madrid again in the 10s.
 
Bodhitree said:
I think there’s a fair chance that with the right transfer Salah may flourish at a new club,
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I very much doubt it; well, not in a truly competitive environment.
Bodhitree said:
Liverpool may still pocket a fair chunk of change for him. I thought the contract extension was smart, look to see if he could repeat last seasons performance, and maybe get a decent fee for him if not. Maybe Saudi or Turkey or even MLS.
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My understanding is that Salah is set to depart on a free transfer in the summer.

Usually, a free transfer occurs when a contract expires, or has not been renewed for some reason, but Salah's current contract (signed last season) still has a year to run.

Thus, I am not sure how - if at all - Liverpool can expect to benefit financially from this, unless it will come from the fact that they will no longer have to pay his considerable wages bill.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
I very much doubt it; well, not in a truly competitive environment.

My understanding is that Salah is set to depart on a free transfer in the summer.

Usually, a free transfer occurs when a contract expires, or has not been renewed for some reason, but Salah's current contract (signed last season) still has a year to run.

Thus, I am not sure how - if at all - Liverpool can expect to benefit financially from this, unless it will come from the fact that they will no longer have to pay his considerable wages bill.
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Cancelled by mutual consent I read. In other words Liverpool don’t want to continue to pay his salary but think it will be easier for him to find another club if there is no transfer fee.

Makes sense. If he stays it would only deteriorate further as a relationship.
 
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Interesting, I’m sure he will find another club.

I read and listen to very little news so these little details escape me.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Thus, I am not sure how - if at all - Liverpool can expect to benefit financially from this, unless it will come from the fact that they will no longer have to pay his considerable wages bill.
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At this point there is no attempt to generate a fee, it's all about optics - an amicable separation for an iconic player - and freeing up space in the squad.

Salah is more of a wide forward than a winger per se, so I don't know if they'll try to replace him like-for-like. Gordon continues to be mentioned but I think he's a little overvalued. Ditto Pulisic - he'd cost a lot.
 
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