Football 2025-26

[Skip997]

🤣

[charlierc]

On 26/08/2025 at 07:18, charlierc said:

Maybe if Manchester United crash at Grimsby in the Carabao Cup tomorrow, that'll provide some football schadenfreude to get such kicks.  

... I didn't write this with any expectations it might actually be on. Crikey.

[thetime]

2 minutes ago, charlierc said:

... I didn't write this with any expectations it might actually be on. Crikey.

 

Fecking Onana. 🤪 

[Gnomicide]

First decent comedy on ITV for years.

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

It's difficult to know exactly who could be an Isak-level replacement, be it at that level or close enough, this late in the window with a budget that we have. But this is where we're at when the tantrum is this major. Feels tbf that I've seen a recalibration this week and more Newcastle fans are thinking Isak should go if he's going to carry on being this much of a toxic presence.

 

But it feels like a stalemate given Wolves and Brentford aren't finding getting JSL & Wissa replacements easier. I thought Outtara counted for Brentford but apparently they see him more of a replacement for Mbuemo. So... pfft. f**k knows. At the very least we can hope Osula's getting an unexpected goal against Liverpool is a confidence boost, but it would be negligence to not invest in extra forwards.

I mean, the Isak-level replacement isn't based on replacing the player he was last season, but the quality of player he was when we signed him. My big thing is I'd prefer he rot than go to that scummy club that like to pretend they're the saviours of football morality.

 

I don't even think signing one means Isak leaves. I think signing one is getting the stable proven finisher/movement in. I still think this ends up with him going to PSG in January or next summer.

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Fecking Onana. 🤪 

Worst goalie in the PL era that hasn't got relegated?

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Fecking Onana. 🤪 

He didn't exactly cover himself in glory in the shootout either. Got a hand to several of the Grimsby penalties but couldn't stop them.

 

Might as well have had that incorrectly disallowed goal that would've made it 3-0 stand, if only as it would've avoided dragging it out and giving the hope the humiliation wasn't about to happen. 

 

Though apparently this is the first time ever Man Utd have been knocked out of ether FA or EFL Cup by a 4th tier club. Speaking as a fan of a team who've had that happen to them multiple times, welcome to the party.

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I mean, the Isak-level replacement isn't based on replacing the player he was last season, but the quality of player he was when we signed him. My big thing is I'd prefer he rot than go to that scummy club that like to pretend they're the saviours of football morality.

 

I don't even think signing one means Isak leaves. I think signing one is getting the stable proven finisher/movement in. I still think this ends up with him going to PSG in January or next summer.

Tbf when Isak joined us in 2022, he wasn't the finished article. I don't think he'd had productive scoring seasons at Dortmund or Real Sociedad and was even having games out wide. What we saw was clearly the potential and possibility, which ended up being pretty successful until now. But equally the nature of our lot is that we already needed a striker to replace Callum Wilson anyway. I guess by numbers JSL and Wissa together would do that, but I think getting one and then an early 20s striker with decent potential might be a smarter investment. 

 

I agree I'd rather sell to anyone but Liverpool, or at the very least rinse them for the maximum possible fee. How easy that is to do is another matter.

 

Still, there's the Champions League draw later. Guess finding out those 8 games will be fun. And indeed wondering if Uefa will send us on a January trip to Arctic Norway or Kazakhstan.

[pink_triangle]

It probably didn’t influence the final job but I really struggle to respect strikers like Sesko bottling the penalty until only the keeper is left.

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

Tbf when Isak joined us in 2022, he wasn't the finished article. I don't think he'd had productive scoring seasons at Dortmund or Real Sociedad and was even having games out wide. What we saw was clearly the potential and possibility, which ended up being pretty successful until now. But equally the nature of our lot is that we already needed a striker to replace Callum Wilson anyway. I guess by numbers JSL and Wissa together would do that, but I think getting one and then an early 20s striker with decent potential might be a smarter investment. 

 

I agree I'd rather sell to anyone but Liverpool, or at the very least rinse them for the maximum possible fee. How easy that is to do is another matter.

 

Still, there's the Champions League draw later. Guess finding out those 8 games will be fun. And indeed wondering if Uefa will send us on a January trip to Arctic Norway or Kazakhstan.

Yeah that's exactly my point. I don't think we can replace the player he is now, but we should sign a raw striker in his early 20s with potential, along with a proven PL goalscorer to replace Wilson.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the headlines of "Carabao Cup holders draw Bradford". Nice to be reminded yet again.

[thetime]

3 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

 

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the headlines of "Carabao Cup holders draw Bradford". Nice to be reminded yet again.

 

I remember you saying you wouldnt over celebrate with your owners. You would be skipping around buck house starkers if you had different owners. 😂

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I remember you saying you wouldnt over celebrate with your owners. You would be skipping around buck house starkers if you had different owners. 😂

Absolutely! I'm not going to deny its tainted, but it's still insane joy.

[charlierc]

Liverpool v Real Madrid in the group stage of the Champions League... another chance for the Red fans to boo Alexander-Arnold then.

 

I'm fairly content Newcastle avoided getting sent to Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan if nothing else. Though my preference would be to have got one of Barcelona, Benfica or Bilbao at their place rather at home if I was going to be paying cash to follow them. Based on playing them two seasons ago, I don't recall PSG being the most welcoming and I suspect Marseille would be an extremely intense trip.

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Yeah that's exactly my point. I don't think we can replace the player he is now, but we should sign a raw striker in his early 20s with potential, along with a proven PL goalscorer to replace Wilson.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the headlines of "Carabao Cup holders draw Bradford". Nice to be reminded yet again.

Multiple sources are saying a deal's been agreed between Newcastle and Stuttgart for 23-year-old German striker Nick Woltemade, who was very heavily linked with Bayern Munich for much of the summer.

 

That could work. I appreciate its a huge fee for someone who only scored his first Bundesliga goal last season, but such is our lot this late into the window.

[thetime]

16 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Multiple sources are saying a deal's been agreed between Newcastle and Stuttgart for 23-year-old German striker Nick Woltemade, who was very heavily linked with Bayern Munich for much of the summer.

 

That could work. I appreciate its a huge fee for someone who only scored his first Bundesliga goal last season, but such is our lot this late into the window.

 

Just checked his wiki page, pretty prolific at Werder Bremen. 2 games and 99 goals, Dixie's Dean levels that. 

 

 

 

[charlierc]

12 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Just checked his wiki page, pretty prolific at Werder Bremen. 2 games and 99 goals, Dixie's Dean levels that. 

 

 

 

Some of our fans have been having fun on Wikipedia again huh.

[thetime]

19 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Some of our fans have been having fun on Wikipedia again huh.

 

That famous geordie humour gets me everytime. 

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

Multiple sources are saying a deal's been agreed between Newcastle and Stuttgart for 23-year-old German striker Nick Woltemade, who was very heavily linked with Bayern Munich for much of the summer.

 

That could work. I appreciate its a huge fee for someone who only scored his first Bundesliga goal last season, but such is our lot this late into the window.

I'd read a little about him earlier in the window, where we supposedly stopped bidding and moved on to Sesko because we thought Woltemade to Bayern was a done deal.

 

Very happy with this signing. A couple of days ago I was thinking "well maybe Howe could coach Jackson/Hojlund into something" out of desperation!

[Gnomicide]

I get to go to the home Champions League games so pretty happy with Real, Atletico, PSV & Qarabag.

 

Massive one, infuriating one, normally quite pleasant one and a fun one watching a team I've never heard with no doubt nuts support.

[kaosmark2]

Love that squad from Tuchel (Henderson aside). No Man U or Liverpool players! Lots of Newc, Forest, Palace, Villa performers in there.

[Skip997]

12 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Love that squad from Tuchel (Henderson aside). No Man U or Liverpool players! Lots of Newc, Forest, Palace, Villa performers in there.

I also love there being no Liverpool players. No chance of getting injured in a nonsense match 

[balti-pie]

On 26/08/2025 at 11:52, kaosmark2 said:

I can't believe I've got to the point where I'd prefer Man U or Chelski to win things than Liverpool.

crucially though, not Arsenal. Everyone's unfavourites. 

[kaosmark2]

17 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

crucially though, not Arsenal. Everyone's unfavourites. 

I've never been as bothered by Arsenal as a lot of people. Arteta's almost as big a whiner as Klopp was but other than that or the fun of seeing a big club falter they've not been as obnoxious. Always preferred them winning over Man U/Chelski for sure.

[balti-pie]

23 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I've never been as bothered by Arsenal as a lot of people. Arteta's almost as big a whiner as Klopp was but other than that or the fun of seeing a big club falter they've not been as obnoxious. Always preferred them winning over Man U/Chelski for sure.

I could not possibly disagree with you any more, but i'd better acknowledge i'm Tottenham 😁 

[kaosmark2]

6 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I could not possibly disagree with you any more, but i'd better acknowledge i'm Tottenham 😁 

Outside the time the media were w*nking over Redknapp I've preferred Spurs to Arsenal, but yeah, that does colour it a bit.

 

Thought you looked excellent against both PSG and Man City. Spence's performances in those definitely warranted the England call-up. I loved watching Angeball but Frank has brought an organised press without compromising too much flair, and that's with Kulesevski injured.

 

Palhinha looks great and Xavi Simons (assuming it happens) is a big coup IMO. Big question for me is if the injuries of last season are going to be recurring, or if they were primarily a product of Ange's training/tactics combined with the chain of the first wave triggering players over-playing through December and getting injured from that.

 

I still don't rate Maddison though. A magic 10 minutes once a month isn't enough (unless you're Hatem Ben Arfa).