Football 2024/25

[thetime]

Football...Bloody hell.

[Punksnotdead]

Can't believe what I've just watched! Sadly I can't see us beating Bilbao in the semi.

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, Punksnotdead said:

Can't believe what I've just watched! Sadly I can't see us beating Bilbao in the semi.

Tbf I thought Lyon would win this tie and they came close.

 

It's good for the sport though that after several weeks of debating whether football has become too regimented and structured that a "no tactics, just vibes" comeback pays dividends.

[pink_triangle]

Looks like greater than 50/50 chance of 6 English teams in the champions league, but how much can you trust Man U and Spurs!

[thetime]

12 hours ago, Punksnotdead said:

Can't believe what I've just watched! Sadly I can't see us beating Bilbao in the semi.

 

Bilbao been my choice to win it for a while. That being said they struggled to get past Rangers, even with Rangers playing with 10 men since the 13th minute in the 1st leg. Its the big one though, I would fancy a final against the other 2. 

 

Utd should have a few back fit by then as well with Mainoo, Shaw, Mount, Ligt, Amad either building fitness or back to the team. 

 

Bruno certainly needs protecting next 2 league games.

 

2nd leg at Old Trafford. 

 

Draw-Win-Win and it's the champions league. 😃

Edited April 18, 2025 by thetime

[pink_triangle]

9 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Bilbao been my choice to win it for a while. That being said they struggled to get past Rangers, even with Rangers playing with 10 men since the 13th minute in the 1st leg. Its the big one though, I would fancy a final against the other 2. 

 

Utd should have a few back fit by then as well with Mainoo, Shaw, Mount, Ligt, Amad either building fitness or back to the team. 

 

Bruno certainly needs protecting next 2 league games.

 

2nd leg at Old Trafford. 

 

Draw-Win-Win and it's the champions league. 😃

Surely Man U (like spurs) just deprioritise the league now.

[charlierc]

32 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Surely Man U (like spurs) just deprioritise the league now.

Given that Champions League qualification is the prize on offer, I assumed that would be the case.

 

Working them out might be more tricky. Bodo/Glimdt may well be from Norway, which isn't necessarily a European stand-out, but their run and prior record shows they aren't chumps, to say nothing of the fact they gave an Ange Postecoglu managed Celtic side a thorough pants-pulling in the Europa League a few seasons ago.

 

Bilbao v Man United should be a good contest too.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

Surely Man U (like spurs) just deprioritise the league now.

 

Yes i think he did that against Newcastle to some extent. Starting Lindelof, Amass, erikson and giving Bayindir his 1st start in the league since he signed. 

 

Can see the same pattern happening against Wolves, Brentford and Bournemouth. 

 

Might be an issue if we do get to the final. The final sandwiched between games against Chelsea and Villa. 

Edited April 18, 2025 by thetime

[pink_triangle]

5 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

 

 

Might be an issue if we do get to the final. The final sandwiched between games against Chelsea and Villa. 

Just play the reserves against Chelsea, issue sorted!

[thetime]

6 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Just play the reserves against Chelsea, issue sorted!

I was thinking more about Chelsea and Villa going for Champions league spots. More about the integrity of the league, rather than utd. Which of course they should put the reserves out. Although perhaps with 11 days between the league game and a potential final, they would be undercooked. 

 

Thats thinking well ahead though. 

[pink_triangle]

26 minutes ago, thetime said:

I was thinking more about Chelsea and Villa going for Champions league spots. More about the integrity of the league, rather than utd. Which of course they should put the reserves out. Although perhaps with 11 days between the league game and a potential final, they would be undercooked. 

 

Thats thinking well ahead though. 

I think clubs should prioritise how they see fit and not worry about the “integrity” of the league. If your relying on Man Utd to perform against an rival then you haven’t done enough yourself.

[thetime]

Vill 10 wins out of 11 in all competitions, only defeat away to PSG. 

 

Thats very impressive. 

 

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

Vill 10 wins out of 11 in all competitions, only defeat away to PSG. 

 

Thats very impressive.

I didn't watch the game, but fair play to them, they've been excellent this season. They gave PSG a better run than other English teams I've watched against them this season.

 

Forest's form seems to be slipping, so I'm not insanely worried that we won't get top 5 - this was always going to be a very tough game. I'm worried about Brighton away (more than the Chelsea or Arsenal games actually), but I still think we need to win 3 from 5 here. There's the Villa City game to come which will set at least one of them back (probably City on current form).

[charlierc]

13 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I didn't watch the game, but fair play to them, they've been excellent this season. They gave PSG a better run than other English teams I've watched against them this season.

 

Forest's form seems to be slipping, so I'm not insanely worried that we won't get top 5 - this was always going to be a very tough game. I'm worried about Brighton away (more than the Chelsea or Arsenal games actually), but I still think we need to win 3 from 5 here. There's the Villa City game to come which will set at least one of them back (probably City on current form).

Yeah I didn't watch either but it did look like we got a bit of a pants-pulling-down from the highlights. Could also be the case that it was the classic "game too far" given it had been the same starting 11 for all 3 games against Man Utd, Palace and Villa in six days. Also hints we might need to focus on depth as a summer recruitment, particularly as the Carabao win guarantees European football for Newcastle next season.

 

I don't think Brighton away is as tricky as it was looking given how out-of-sorts they've looked of late, but yeah, we don't have a great record there.

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Yeah I didn't watch either but it did look like we got a bit of a pants-pulling-down from the highlights. Could also be the case that it was the classic "game too far" given it had been the same starting 11 for all 3 games against Man Utd, Palace and Villa in six days. Also hints we might need to focus on depth as a summer recruitment, particularly as the Carabao win guarantees European football for Newcastle next season.

 

I don't think Brighton away is as tricky as it was looking given how out-of-sorts they've looked of late, but yeah, we don't have a great record there.

So the depth need to me is up front and at CB.

 

We need another player who can play RW or centrally, and even if Murphy's had an outstanding season, it's hard to expect him to replicate that form across 45 games next year. Our back-up for Isak atm is an eternally unfit Wilson, moving Gordon over out of position, or a still very green Osula. If we sign a ready-made goal-scoring player who can cut in from the RW and sometimes play centrally then we'll be picking 3 from 5 + Osula which will hopefully be enough.

 

Between Botman's injury record, and the fact that Schar, Burn, Lascelles are all in their 30s, we'll need another CB who can be a first team option, and then have these players rotating to maintain fitness.

 

I'm not insanely worried about midfield as long as Miley continues improving, I think him and Willock are both good Prem players even if a level behind our front 3, and I'm less critical of Longstaff than many Newcastle fans. Sure, I'd love us to sign another class player, but I'm more worried about improving places where we've not got as much back-up.

 

With Brighton, it's partially the record, and actually, I think the sheer length of the trips is part of our problems away at Brighton/Bournemouth. Travelling for that long can be knackering in itself.

[thetime]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

 

 

I don't think Brighton away is as tricky as it was looking given how out-of-sorts they've looked of late, but yeah, we don't have a great record there.

 

Quarter final defeat has took the stuffing out of Brighton. 

 

As it stands with Chelsea and Forest struggling with form. Could be a case of the top 5 being sorted with a couple of games to go. 

 

European qualification could be the worst thing to happen to Forest this season. 

 

Edited April 20, 2025 by thetime

[kaosmark2]

28 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Quarter final defeat has took the stuffing out of Brighton. 

 

As it stands with Chelsea and Forest struggling with form. Could be a case of the top 5 being sorted with a couple of games to go. 

 

European qualification could be the worst thing to happen to Forest this season.

Europa League is probably the worst of both worlds for a small squad like Forest right? Don't get the money but have the extra games and commitment.

[thetime]

23 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Europa League is probably the worst of both worlds for a small squad like Forest right? Don't get the money but have the extra games and commitment.

 

Yeah, they will be my bet for a relegation battle if they qualify for Europe.

 

Which is pretty much certain, with the top 5 and domestic cup winners. Top 8? 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

Yeah, they will be my bet for a relegation battle if they qualify for Europe.

 

Which is pretty much certain, with the top 5 and domestic cup winners. Top 8? 

Yeah top 5 CL, 6/7 Europa League, 8 Conference League.

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, thetime said:

European qualification could be the worst thing to happen to Forest this season. 

 

Feel like it was ever thus tbf. Even last season, Newcastle and Brighton struggled with extra games due to competing in Europe with Spurs' best form under Ange seemingly only coming because they weren't in Europe. Similarly, you can way back in the archives to see others like Bolton and Stoke struggle with extra Euro games, or indeed that happening to Wigan and Birmingham when they won cup competitions to qualify for Europe in seasons where they relegated, so had to have European games while also competing in the Championship, a combination that I think might be quite ill-advised.

[thetime]

30 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Feel like it was ever thus tbf. Even last season, Newcastle and Brighton struggled with extra games due to competing in Europe with Spurs' best form under Ange seemingly only coming because they weren't in Europe. Similarly, you can way back in the archives to see others like Bolton and Stoke struggle with extra Euro games, or indeed that happening to Wigan and Birmingham when they won cup competitions to qualify for Europe in seasons where they relegated, so had to have European games while also competing in the Championship, a combination that I think might be quite ill-advised.

 

Certainly a big game for Forest tonight. There form hasn't really slipped, more about Villa and Newcastle putting runs together. Forests only poor result last couple of months, is perhaps Everton in the last game. 

 

Whatever happens with Forest, great season and Nuno should be manager of the season. 

[thetime]

Huge game tonight for City and Villa, both have a relatively easy run in.

 

Win and they will be faves for top 5. 

 

Chelsea out of it? Liverpool, Newcastle and Forest in the run in. Although you could argue its in there hands. 

[pink_triangle]

That record of Leicester not scoring in 9 matches at home is pretty embarrassing. I would even expect an average national league team to score the odd one.

[Skip997]

16 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

That record of Leicester not scoring in 9 matches at home is pretty embarrassing. I would even expect an average national league team to score the odd one.

Steptoe is getting on a bit and not particularly on form. Who else have they got?

[lost]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

Huge game tonight for City and Villa, both have a relatively easy run in.

 

Win and they will be faves for top 5. 

 

Chelsea out of it? Liverpool, Newcastle and Forest in the run in. Although you could argue its in there hands. 

 

There are a few rumours regarding Villa needing Champs league every year based on their spending and FFP/PSR with a firesale needed if they don't qualify. 

 

Impressive they have built that squad so quickly, you forget players like Coutinho are still on the wage bill though out on loan at a league that I cant imagine are picking up much of it.