I’ll be dinning with a Leeds and Arsenal fan tomorrow night. Could make for an interesting evening!
Sadly a Chelsea fav will also be joining us!
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The 2025-2026 Football Thread
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Sadly a Chelsea fav will also be joining us!
No, no, no.
As with Havertz, who had just come back from injury, Saka missed quite a bit of last season, through injury.
In a way, notwithstanding this summer's (impressive and very welcome) activity during the transfer window, this strikes me as fortune claiming all of those hostages we offered by the (excessive) demands we placed on some of those players over the past two or three seasons.
The injuries really overshadow what should have been a fairly routine drubbing of Leeds.
I posted earlier that all the big teams have strengthened ‘on paper,’ but injuries are one of the two great imponderables next to individual form.
Saka has a lot of miles in him for a young player, I really do worry about his long-term health over the rest of his career. If it’s a small hamstring tear it’s probably at least a month out.
I posted earlier that all the big teams have strengthened ‘on paper,’ but injuries are one of the two great imponderables next to individual form.
Saka has a lot of miles in him for a young player, I really do worry about his long-term health over the rest of his career. If it’s a small hamstring tear it’s probably at least a month out.
Agreed.
I sincerely hope that neither injury is serious.
Agreed.
The problem is that Arsenal's squad was limited last season, which meant a lack of strength in depth, and very little rotation of the squad.
Thus, an awful lot asked of some of the first team players, - until he was injured, Saka started almost every game - and this is now catching up with the team and the squad.
And he missed quite a lot of last season, three months after Christmas, and at least two spells of a fortnight each, earlier in the season.
I suspect you are right about Liverpools chances of repeating the title. Arsenal, Chelsea, perhaps even Man Utd look like more capable teams this year. But I think Liverpool have bought wisely, and much of the winning squad from last year remains. On the whole it should be an interesting campaign.
Hopefully not serious agreed, but I do find it a little strange when you talk about Arsenal's limited squad though! I mean I can think of about 16-18 clubs in the PL who wish they had Arsenal's 'limited squad'!
A £ Billion is what they are valuing Arsenal and Chelseas's squads at. Based on yesterday ours is worth about £12.50p
I'm talking about the number of players, not the quality (or cost) of some of the players.
My sense is that Arteta is (finally) approaching the squad that he has wanted.
Between a limited number of available players, some players, perhaps, that the manager didn't trust, and serious injuries to key players, (some of which had come about because I suspect that they had been asked to play too often) Arsenal's squad last season was quite thin by season's end, especially among our forwards.
Our injury history is certainly a matter of concern, and something that has needed to be addressed, and closely examined and looked at.
I understand. But most clubs second and third string squad players are not as good as yours which was my point. Like if we lose Bowen to injury we are basically left with an unproven 18 year old, or a guy who’s 35+.
Most squads struggle with injuries. Perhaps they could drop some of these pointless competitions (world club cup I’m looking at you!)
You make some good points.
However, I have looked longingly at the players whom Liverpool and Manchester City had on their bench; our second string (let alone our third string) lacked that strength in depth.
Now, granted, our academy seems to be pretty good, and we have an impressive history (and tradition) of producing quite a few pretty good players, and of enabling them to break through to the first and second teams.
Agreed.
But, we have had several serious injuries to key players - some of whom have been out repeatedly - in recent years, and, I suspect that some of this arose because of the number - and frequency - of games that they have been asked to play.
However, I am also concerned about whether the energetic and intensely pressing nature of the game we play has contributed to this sequence (and history) of injuries.
No argument - at all - re that useless, fatuous, club world cup competition; it is not needed, not necessary, and is a total waste of time, energy and resources.
With all these extra moneymaking ‘competitions’, AND with player transfer fees and salaries continuing to reach stratospheric heights, major injuries to top players during stupid fake tournaments is going to become more common.
I'm just waiting for the season that someone like Mbappe does an ACL at one of these silly ‘tournaments.’ We’ll see how the fans like that.
I feel like ticket prices should be pegged to number of star players available. If Salah is hurt, I should get a 15% discount etc….🤣 Hey, if you want to make football a business I’m going to act like a customer.
I'm just waiting for the season that someone like Mbappe does an ACL at one of these silly ‘tournaments.’ We’ll see how the fans like that.
I feel like ticket prices should be pegged to number of star players available. If Salah is hurt, I should get a 15% discount etc….🤣 Hey, if you want to make football a business I’m going to act like a customer.
I'd still prefer to have him fit and healthy and available.
An excellent point, and one that hadn't occurred to me.
But you are absolutely spot on.
However, incurring major injuries to key players during what you correctly describe as "stupid fake", utterly nonsensical tournaments, is something that strikes me as absurd, appalling, and, as you so rightly point out, will become all too dismally and depressingly common, another sacrifice to the bottomless and myopic greed of those who run the game.
Indeed.
Their outrage would know no bounds, and, the fact that it would be stupid, senseless, and entirely needless would only serve to make matters worse.
Hm.
This perspective never crossed my mind.
Agreed. With regard to Liverpool, other teams will have worked out how they play, as we saw towards the end of last season. Slot will no doubt change the style of play, and I think we've seen that already, and it's almost similar to the early Klopp days, with a lot of pressing. Arsenal and Tottenham, seem to always start well, and Man City often finish well, so will hope they can be more consistent in the parts of the year where they drop off a little. Whilst I feel that it will be the 2 North London sides, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City vying for champion league places, the fight below them from Aston Villa, Notts Forest, Fulham, Bournemouth, Brighton, should be fascinating. I fear this year is the one where Everton will drop, alongside Leeds and Burnley.
Perhaps a cheeky late bid for Rodrygo is in order since our forward players are dropping like flies.
I consider;
Zinchenko
Nelson
Martinelli
Kiwior (albeit reluctant about this one)
Jesus
to be surplus to requirements
I consider;
Zinchenko
Nelson
Martinelli
Kiwior (albeit reluctant about this one)
Jesus
to be surplus to requirements
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This very thought has crossed my mind, as well; actually, this thought crossed my mind even prior to the casualties we suffered yesterday, and, also as a result of last week's game.
Havertz, Odegaard and Saka all sidelined through injury already......and the season has barely started.
Another name to ponder is Julian Alvarez, whom I always rated highly as a player.
Agree completely re the first three names.
Actually, I think that Kiwior is a very good player, - well able to step up and meet the required standard should others yet limp off suffering injuries - and I would regret losing him; my personal view is that we should retain him, for this season - (or first half of the season) to add some strength in depth.
Re Jesus, he had one excellent season with us, and has been missing quite a bit as a result of injuries; actually, I don't think that he has ever fully recovered - physically or in terms of confidence - from the injury he suffered at the last World Cup.
Having said that, he does tend to lift the team whenever he appears, and I would be sorry to see him depart. However, even with a full recovery (itself unlikely, but not impossible) increasingly, he will have become a fringe player, a luxury player, an optional extra, and not a core member of the team, someone whose name automatically springs to mind when compiling a list of first team players.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is another player I was very sorry to see leave - a terrific player when available and fit, a wonderful role model, but dreadfully susceptible to injury.
Manchester United, currently playing Fulham, with the score still nil all, have just missed a penalty. Painful.
Fernandes seemed to aim at the sky...
Fernandes seemed to aim at the sky...
Well, Manchester United scored (a deflection, actually), and, a short while later, Fulham equalised, Emile Smith Rowe (whom I had long liked when he played for Arsenal, and was sorry to see released) the scorer for Fulham.
They were fortunate to do so.
Their goal was......equivocal, while they also missed a penalty, Fernandes blazing it skyward.
Actually, Fulham certainly deserved their point, and quite possibly deserved more than that.
Sesko must be thinking whether he has made a correct decision to sign for United instead of Newcastle.
I just watched MOTD's coverage of the game, and in the end, I think the draw was the appropriate result. We (Fulham) didn't look that sharp, and at Man Utd were a threat. The penalty was controversial, and the miss, justice. Unlucky own goal, and then a well worked equaliser.
I fear our squad will be missing a few players soon, and the owners don't seem to be too hungry in the transfer window.
‘Pool’s match against Newcastle should be interesting. NUFC seems to feel like it’s a derby given the chippy nature of recent games.
I chuckled the other day when Eddie Howe assessed Gordon’s turn up front for the missing Isak: ‘he looked a threat, he got a man sent off.’ That’s very Newcastle. So you know what you’re getting with them.
But they should be thinking bigger than being a plucky rough northern club who make games hard given their stratospherically wealthy owners.
I just hope nobody get injured.
I chuckled the other day when Eddie Howe assessed Gordon’s turn up front for the missing Isak: ‘he looked a threat, he got a man sent off.’ That’s very Newcastle. So you know what you’re getting with them.
But they should be thinking bigger than being a plucky rough northern club who make games hard given their stratospherically wealthy owners.
I just hope nobody get injured.