Football 2025-26

[charlierc]

11 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I think there is a lot of exaggeration on city's demise. They just have a lot of injuries at the back. Once they are back, as well as getting Guehi they will be fine. 

 

3 league defeats in 5 months isn't to shabby either, especially in this nuts of a season. 

 

Champions league table will look a bit different next week I would imagine. Top 8 will be Arsenal, Liverpool and City. With Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea in the play offs. 

The final day of the group stage will be interesting given how close things are both in the automatic/playoff fight and the fight to make it into the play offs. I agree tbf that us winning in Paris is ambitious but it would be nice and all. 

 

Man City is a curious one. I agree that losing Dias and Gvardiol simultaneously was a big problem but Rodri has struggled with fitness issues while Haaland looks like he needs a rest. Though I suspect they should still beat Wolves on Saturday. 

[thetime]

I don't expect Thomas Frank to be Spurs manager by March 1st. 

Edited January 24 by thetime

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

I don't expect Thomas Frank to be Spurs manager by March 1st. 

Spurs fans are surprised he's still manager now tbf. Had they lost today, that could well have been it.

[Skip997]

9 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Spurs fans are surprised he's still manager now tbf. Had they lost today, that could well have been it.

Just as surprised as I am that Slot is still Liverpool manager 

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Just as surprised as I am that Slot is still Liverpool manager 

Dunno if this means I should be more optimistic about the idea of a first Newcastle win at Anfield in decades next weekend or wonder if we are to be so bold as to even force Alisson into making a save. Against Villa today, we had two decent chances that Martinez made brilliant saves from but so much of our play was just so bloody slow, as it was against Wolves last week. 

 

No Bruno Guimaraes was going to be a problem, sure, but I don't think that was the sole issue - Trippier looked spent after 3 games in a week at 35, Gordon only turns up in the Champions League, Barnes is just not as good wide right as wide left, Wissa & Woltemade seem like they both suit being part of a strike pair more, Tonali hasn't looked right for a few weeks, etc, etc.

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Dunno if this means I should be more optimistic about the idea of a first Newcastle win at Anfield in decades next weekend or wonder if we are to be so bold as to even force Alisson into making a save. Against Villa today, we had two decent chances that Martinez made brilliant saves from but so much of our play was just so bloody slow, as it was against Wolves last week. 

 

No Bruno Guimaraes was going to be a problem, sure, but I don't think that was the sole issue - Trippier looked spent after 3 games in a week at 35, Gordon only turns up in the Champions League, Barnes is just not as good wide right as wide left, Wissa & Woltemade seem like they both suit being part of a strike pair more, Tonali hasn't looked right for a few weeks, etc, etc.

I’ll be surprised if you don’t win. the whole squad has lost confidence, the 11 favoured players are knackered (Slot is incapable of rotation unless forced), Salah, VVD and McAllister have forgotten how to play football, we’re down to one CB, Slot has no idea how to use substitutes and has the tactical nouse of a Sunday league manager. 

[thetime]

30 minutes ago, charlierc said:

 

 

No Bruno Guimaraes was going to be a problem, sure, but I don't think that was the sole issue 

 

Saw a stat this week, you've not won a league game without guimaraes since he signed. 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

I’ll be surprised if you don’t win. the whole squad has lost confidence, the 11 favoured players are knackered (Slot is incapable of rotation unless forced), Salah, VVD and McAllister have forgotten how to play football, we’re down to one CB, Slot has no idea how to use substitutes and has the tactical nouse of a Sunday league manager. 

This is largely our problem though. Apart from Barnes and Bruno (who is injured), noone looks to have confidence in front of goal. Everyone passes because they have no belief in their own shot. We've got 14 players who play to exhaustion and others lacking game time/fitness. Trippier looks completely past it, Tonali misplaces passes all the time at the moment, we have basically no CBs fit, and the exact same 3 substitutions happen every game with nothing changing.

[Skip997]

3 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

This is largely our problem though. Apart from Barnes and Bruno (who is injured), noone looks to have confidence in front of goal. Everyone passes because they have no belief in their own shot. We've got 14 players who play to exhaustion and others lacking game time/fitness. Trippier looks completely past it, Tonali misplaces passes all the time at the moment, we have basically no CBs fit, and the exact same 3 substitutions happen every game with nothing changing.

Match up of the duffers. Should be fun 

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Saw a stat this week, you've not won a league game without guimaraes since he signed. 

I believe that we beat Arsenal in one of the two Carabao semis last season but yeah, in the league, not so much. Tbf yesterday could've been different if Martinez hadn't made great saves at either end of the first half, but you know... Ifs are kinda grasping at straws when the game's gone. 

 

I did see Man Utd pulled off something pretty impressive. Quite a turnaround to get these two results back to back. 

[charlierc]

11 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

This is largely our problem though. Apart from Barnes and Bruno (who is injured), noone looks to have confidence in front of goal. Everyone passes because they have no belief in their own shot. We've got 14 players who play to exhaustion and others lacking game time/fitness. Trippier looks completely past it, Tonali misplaces passes all the time at the moment, we have basically no CBs fit, and the exact same 3 substitutions happen every game with nothing changing.

It definitely feels like the window last summer hasn't worked and Howe saying that there's no plans for new players isn't assuring given how burnt out everyone who's being asked to play game in game out looks. 

 

Maybe there's an argument to rest several players for PSG on Wednesday and play the kids. Only paradoxically an unlikely win is of greater benefit to us because it means two fewer games. 

[thetime]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

 

I did see Man Utd pulled off something pretty impressive. Quite a turnaround to get these two results back to back. 

 

Its Utd, we will lose to Fulham next weekend. 😂

 

With Liverpool having 3 difficult fixtures coming up, be nice to get a buffer. 

Edited January 26 by thetime

[balti-pie]

Villa are a really weird team. Ive accidentally caught 3 or 4 of their last fifteen games or so, and they've not been particularly good at all, but they've won every match i've seen. They just play big moments really well - which is a bloody good knack to have, to be fair to them. It;d be nice if they do keep pushing and make it a three way title race, but i do also think they'll inevitably run out of batteries a bit . . . 

[charlierc]

10 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

Villa are a really weird team. Ive accidentally caught 3 or 4 of their last fifteen games or so, and they've not been particularly good at all, but they've won every match i've seen. They just play big moments really well - which is a bloody good knack to have, to be fair to them. It;d be nice if they do keep pushing and make it a three way title race, but i do also think they'll inevitably run out of batteries a bit . . . 

I think that's probably what will happen tbf. They're definitely in the title race for now but whether they have the depth to stay in it the whole way is another matter. Besides I think they have enough to qualify for the Champions League ahead of the rabble behind. 

[charlierc]

38 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Its Utd, we will lose to Fulham next weekend. 😂

 

With Liverpool having 3 difficult fixtures coming up, be nice to get a buffer. 

Tbf, Amorim won at the Etihad and Anfield and also beat Arsenal in the FA Cup last season. So yeah, I can see things like Fulham at home next weekend being the bigger test of whether Man Utd really are so back. 

[thetime]

31 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Tbf, Amorim won at the Etihad and Anfield and also beat Arsenal in the FA Cup last season. So yeah, I can see things like Fulham at home next weekend being the bigger test of whether Man Utd really are so back. 

 

I don't think its about utd being back, utd fans know where we are. 

 

We are only back once challenging for major honours, qualifying year in year out for the champions league. 

 

Amorim (or INEOS) did a good job, sorting out the attacking lineup and the goalkeeper issue. 

 

Thats a long route back. 

[thetime]

The open play table is a bit mad this season. Only 6 teams have scored more in open play, than games played. 

 

Arsenal turned into George Graham's Arsenal. 

 

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, balti-pie said:

Villa are a really weird team. Ive accidentally caught 3 or 4 of their last fifteen games or so, and they've not been particularly good at all, but they've won every match i've seen. They just play big moments really well - which is a bloody good knack to have, to be fair to them. It;d be nice if they do keep pushing and make it a three way title race, but i do also think they'll inevitably run out of batteries a bit . . . 

Nah Villa deserved that. I don't care about xG, Villa showed absolute quality in moments that mattered. 2 great goals, 2 great saves. They had a few other moments of threats on the counter. They play for this, they play to win big special moments and take shots from outside the box instead of the "problem with Arsenal is they always try to walk it in" that the rest of the league do.

 

Possession only means something if you're using it to create good chances.

[kaosmark2]

18 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Match up of the duffers. Should be fun 

I do think proportional to our relative summer spends, we've not fallen as hard off the rails as your lot. I'm still not in the Howe out brigade for example. But there's a real overlap of our problems.

[charlierc]

5 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Nah Villa deserved that. I don't care about xG, Villa showed absolute quality in moments that mattered. 2 great goals, 2 great saves. They had a few other moments of threats on the counter. They play for this, they play to win big special moments and take shots from outside the box instead of the "problem with Arsenal is they always try to walk it in" that the rest of the league do.

 

Possession only means something if you're using it to create good chances.

Martinez's saves at either end of the half to deny Tonali and Miley were excellent tbf. But yeah, we have an issue with turning possession into proper chances. It's been a recurring problem all season long, like we're playing that "always try and walk it in" ball or at least hoping our wingers do a thing.

4 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I do think proportional to our relative summer spends, we've not fallen as hard off the rails as your lot. I'm still not in the Howe out brigade for example. But there's a real overlap of our problems.

What's it been - 30 years since we won at Anfield? Feels like we're due one.

[kaosmark2]

7 hours ago, charlierc said:

It definitely feels like the window last summer hasn't worked and Howe saying that there's no plans for new players isn't assuring given how burnt out everyone who's being asked to play game in game out looks. 

 

Maybe there's an argument to rest several players for PSG on Wednesday and play the kids. Only paradoxically an unlikely win is of greater benefit to us because it means two fewer games. 

Honestly I think a big issue is that pre-season got over-shadowed and we didn't recruit early enough. I still think that most of the players we signed will come good next year. My biggest frustrations right now are Gordon and Tonali, particularly Gordon being so inept at shooting and crossing yet Barnes, our only in-form winger, gets shunted to his less preferred side to accomodate him.

 

With Murphy coming back to fitness, I wish Howe would just pick Barnes most of the time, rotate Murphy and Elanga on the right, and tell Gordon he either has to earn his place back when Barnes gets rested, or suck it up and play on the right.

 

We're in 9th position in the league with the 8th/9th highest wage budget (not sure if we've overtaken West Ham). I think we're doing adequately, we've just been used to over-achieving the past few years (even 2 years ago).

[kaosmark2]

1 minute ago, charlierc said:

Martinez's saves at either end of the half to deny Tonali and Miley were excellent tbf. But yeah, we have an issue with turning possession into proper chances. It's been a recurring problem all season long, like we're playing that "always try and walk it in" ball or at least hoping our wingers do a thing.

What's it been - 30 years since we won at Anfield? Feels like we're due one.

Yeah absolutely. We're transitioning from a counter-attacking team with an intense press to a possession-based team, and we don't really have quite the quality to find those through balls, nor a confidence/willingness to shoot with half-chances. You look at some of the best teams that do it, and Bayern will just shoot with half-chances and because of the quality they have, some of them go in, and others create rebound-opportunities that Kane etc put in. Or at Barca, when they're not on the counter, they have the movement, vision, and close control to thread impeccable balls through. City kinda in-between those in style.

 

Something like 30 years yeah. Honestly I'm not worried about it because of Liverpool/Anfield, just because our away form is so bad we can't even score at Wolves.

[charlierc]

18 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Honestly I think a big issue is that pre-season got over-shadowed and we didn't recruit early enough. I still think that most of the players we signed will come good next year. My biggest frustrations right now are Gordon and Tonali, particularly Gordon being so inept at shooting and crossing yet Barnes, our only in-form winger, gets shunted to his less preferred side to accomodate him.

 

With Murphy coming back to fitness, I wish Howe would just pick Barnes most of the time, rotate Murphy and Elanga on the right, and tell Gordon he either has to earn his place back when Barnes gets rested, or suck it up and play on the right.

 

We're in 9th position in the league with the 8th/9th highest wage budget (not sure if we've overtaken West Ham). I think we're doing adequately, we've just been used to over-achieving the past few years (even 2 years ago).

I'd forgotten that our wage budget was that down the order tbf, though makes sense as I'm pretty sure we spend less on wages than the rich 6 & Aston Villa. 

 

Gordon is just baffling this season, like he's only there for the games that aren't in the Premier League and of late seemed to be actively slowing down our attacks.  Though yes I agree our compromised preseason with late window recruitment and Isak didn't help. 

[thetime]

19 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

 

 

We're in 9th position in the league with the 8th/9th highest wage budget (not sure if we've overtaken West Ham). I think we're doing adequately, we've just been used to over-achieving the past few years (even 2 years ago).

 

Over achieving is some what simplistic, more to do with other clubs under achieving. 

 

Utd down to 5th on the table, will go further down once casemiro and if Bruno leaves. Apart from City I don't see clubs going for the massive wages in the 350k-500k area anytime soon. 

[balti-pie]

Dorgu out for three months, following him running into a rich vein of form and scoring a belter at the goons the other day - now from a purely selfish (irish) point of view im a little bit glad, because he's Denmark's best player at the mo and i dont want to face him in the world cup playoffs. Bad karma, i know, but priorities. Got to beat the Czechs first, mind