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The 2025-2026 Football Thread

Sal09 said:
Watched Arsenal v Newcastle highlights this morning.

Two games in a row oppositions should have been given red card. Both Khusanov and Pope should have been sent off. No VAR intervention or PGMOL explanation.

Before anyone mentions yes Gabriel should have received red card. 100 percent.
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Yes, but I think that Mikel Arteta doth protest too much, and, as usual, blames external factors rather than addressing the flaws in his system and in his team, many of which are down to him.

Had Arsenal won more of their games (and with conviction) since the advent of the New Year, this wouldn't even arise as a cause for complaint.
 
PSG v Bayern in the UCL semifinals tonight. I think this tie will be the deciding matchup of the UCL this season, Bayern has been scoring freely but PSG have such an impressive midfield and defense, we will have to see who is the better team on the night.

I think 3-2 to PSG, it’s a home game for them after all. I might watch this game live on tv.
 
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I really hope Wrexham don't go up...

Loving Coventry going back up.
 
pachyderm said:
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I really hope Wrexham don't go up...

Loving Coventry going back up.
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Slight error on that table, Southampton - who plays Ipswich at home today - also has 44 games played.

Now if Southampton wins today, there will be 4 teams within a point of that 2nd place, and direct promotion, so Saturday could be a nail biting experience if you're an Ipswich, Middlesbrough or Southampton fan... or just hates Milwall... 😛

I think Hull has a slight advantage (meeting Norwich, while Wrexham are going up against Middlesbrough) on the final day (and - who knows - maybe Derby snatches it if both Wrexham and Hull fudges up...?)
 
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Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Slight error on that table, Southampton - who plays Ipswich at home today - also has 44 games played.

Now if Southampton wins today, there will be 4 teams within a point of that 2nd place, and direct promotion, so Saturday could be a nail biting experience if you're and Ipswich, Middlesbrough or Southampton fan... or just hates Milwall... 😛

I think Hull has a slight advantage (meeting Norwich, while Wrexham are going up against Middlesbrough) on the final day (and - who knows - maybe Derby snatches it if both Wrexham and Hull fudges up...?)
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I am pleased to see anyone promoted except for Millwall, a team (and their awful supporters) that I detest.
 
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Madonepro said:
Apparently they don't care! 😉
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Probably not.

However, I detest them, and the history of vicious, racist, violence that the club does little to condemn, and that the fans are all too happy (or, have been, historically) to indulge in.

Now, as it happens, there aren't many clubs I dislike, - let alone deeply dislike - but Millwall is one of these few, a rare case of a club that I wish to see defeated, destroyed, and utterly thrashed by whoever plays against them.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Probably not.

However, I detest them, and the history of vicious, racist, violence that the club does little to condemn, and that the fans are all too happy (or, have been, historically) to indulge in.

Now, as it happens, there aren't many clubs I dislike, - let alone deeply dislike - but Millwall is one of these few, a rare case of a club that I wish to see defeated, destroyed, and utterly thrashed by whoever plays against them.
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I couldn't agree more, I have the same feeling about Chelsea too. Growing up in London, and from Chelsea, the 80's are hard to forget for this bogan team. Thugs, who became, rich thugs.

I guess you missed the point of my previous comment; Millwall have a football chant that goes 'No one likes us, we don't care'. There not wrong.
 
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Madonepro said:
I couldn't agree more, I have the same feeling about Chelsea too. Growing up in London, and from Chelsea, the 80's are hard to forget for this bogan team. Thugs, who became, rich thugs.
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Fair comment; not much of. a fan of Chelsea either - still less under the sort of questionable recent ownership they have had since the start of the millennium.
Madonepro said:
I guess you missed the point of my previous comment; Millwall have a football chant that goes 'No one likes us, we don't care'. There not wrong.
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Oh, yes: That (jeering refrain of a bunch of thugs, taking grim joy in the fact that many - rightly - dislike, detest and disdain them) Millwall football chant: Yes, actually, I had indeed missed the significance of what you wrote when you quoted that.

A horrible club, with even more horrible supporters.
 
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I find it really difficult to choose which teams I’d like to see go up. Historically I have been a Southampton fan at times - I studied there - and I like the fairy story of Wrexham, the tiny club that could. Middlesbrough I wouldn’t mind. Millwall I’ve heard of only, their reputation is not good and they seem to attract the wrong kind of people.
 
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Bodhitree said:
I find it really difficult to choose which teams I’d like to see go up. Historically I have been a Southampton fan at times - I studied there - and I like the fairy story of Wrexham, the tiny club that could./b] Middlesbrough I wouldn’t mind. Millwall I’ve heard of only, their reputation is not good and they seem to attract the wrong kind of people.
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More like "the tiny club had a billion dollars pumped into them..." To each his own though...
 
pachyderm said:
More like "the tiny club had a billion dollars pumped into them..." To each his own though...
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The Wexham story was genuinely interesting and even had a feel-good factor when they were simply trying to get promoted to the football league. There was a financial boost from the new owners but it was (relatively) modest.

Subsequently it's all gone a bit 2020s and the finances have ballooned, and will need to go still bigger to match ambitions. They've now leapfrogged so many other clubs with more modest, sustainable financial models that you can't see the club as underdogs or grassroots in any real sense any more, even if the owners are making some genuine attempts at maintaining good connections with the community and taking a more long-termist approach than many other owners.

It's a Hollywood/corporate collab at this point, with the community a distinct third, no matter how slick the messaging.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
The Wexham story was genuinely interesting and even had a feel-good factor when they were simply trying to get promoted to the football league. There was a financial boost from the new owners but it was (relatively) modest.

Subsequently it's all gone a bit 2020s and the finances have ballooned, and will need to go still bigger to match ambitions. They've now leapfrogged so many other clubs with more modest, sustainable financial models that you can't see the club as underdogs or grassroots in any real sense any more, even if the owners are making some genuine attempts at maintaining good connections with the community and taking a more long-termist approach than many other owners.

It's a Hollywood/corporate collab at this point, with the community a distinct third, no matter how slick the messaging.
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Completely disagree.

Not compelling or interesting. Merely proved the old adage, "bullsh*t walks, money talks..."

I blame video games. How often has any one player chosen a lowly team and taken then from the doldrums to the top? Many times.
 
pachyderm said:
I blame video games. How often has any one player chosen a lowly team and taken then from the doldrums to the top? Many times.
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Video games are wish fulfilment machines, artificial dopamine-fuelled treadmills which have nothing to do with reality.

The Wrexham story I only have passing familiarity with, just one or two YouTube videos about their climb to the Championship which I thought felt vaguely interesting and feel-good. It seems like a video game story brought to life, which makes people feel better about their lives.

But this is the first I’ve heard of them having access to a billion dollars? Who’d invest that kind of money into a small football club? Seems like an awfully big gamble…
 
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Bodhitree said:
But this is the first I’ve heard of them having access to a billion dollars? Who’d invest that kind of money into a small football club? Seems like an awfully big gamble…
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These days every football club is a ‘small’ club until a billionaire / corporation / hedge fund / oligarch / petro-aristocrat buys them.

Even historically ‘big’ clubs would be nowhere without huge external investment.

The fact is, there isn’t enough local money in Manchester or Liverpool to be ‘big.’ London maybe, if there was only one club everyone followed.

That cuts both ways. It means any club could become the biggest club in the English league system if the money is there. It also means you need incredible amounts of money to compete anymore.
 
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