Football 2025-26

[charlierc]

44 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I think given the huge managerial merry go round expected, between a bunch of managers at big clubs changing, the world cup freeing up/taking managers for national teams, and a swarm of mid-table managers doing well and probably moving, it'd be quite stupid to stick with Howe and not at least explore the manager market unless he's got clear ideas of how to solve the problems of this season, and can communicate them to that CEO and ownership group etc.

Perhaps. There's a lot of churn looking like it'll be on with managers broadly and I think it could be worth us sitting down and pondering if there is someone who is potentially the right fit to take us to the next level if that person is not Eddie. I'd still like it to be him in recognition of the fact he's done well for us and that things may not be necessarily broken forever, but this season is just not going well enough. As I see it, the rest of this season is basically an audition to demonstrate whether or not he's still got what it takes.

 

Certainly, this has the air of a pivotal summer given there looks like there will be a lot of player turnover and we cannot afford another raft of duds like we wound up signing last summer. So I think there has to be a thorough process to make sure either Howe is the right fit for the rebuild that's coming or find somebody else to do the job.

14 minutes ago, thetime said:

Can see Slot going there, once liverpool sack him in the summer. 

For some reason the bookies have Jose Mourinho as favourite. Can't pretend I'm enthusiastic about the idea of giving the keys to that busted flush.

 

Andoni Iraola is second favourite, is out of contract at Bournemouth and could be a decent hire given other clubs who want to get European football do seem as an option of interest, although if they get Europe, could easily see him just staying there tbh. Oliver Glasner is also on the list of bookies favourites and I know its churlish to dismiss him the literal day after his side beat us but it would require a lot of work to get the squad ready for his 3-4-3.

 

Slot doesn't fill me with enthusiasm if I'm honest, if only for the question of whether being a rebound for someone who's had such an awkward season with Liverpool and who just struggled to integrate a new look squad is the right man for what will be a big turnover. Like, Trippier's going, Schar is probably going along with a few other squad players and I think at least 2 of Bruno, Tonali, Gordon, Livramento, Hall and maybe Woltemade will want to join a club in the Champions League who pay big wages so they'll probably be going. When framed like this, if we are to change, I'd want someone with a a track record of managing a rebuild. Which is actually what makes Iraola attractive right now given Bournemouth still haven't lost a PL game since selling Semenyo, though I am aware from his time there that they are very streaky - managing both double digit winless and unbeaten runs in the same season is wild.

Edited April 13 by charlierc

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, balti-pie said:

I thought Spurs were knackered back when they lost to Fulham and Palace inside four days, immediately after getting smashed by arsenal - it wasnt necessarily the NLD defeat, it was the complete lack of response to that that made me think nah, they've got no bollocks, there's nothing in this team whatsoever. I dont think they'll win again this season, and i for one embrace the Championship and the amount of change it'll bring.

 

Change in that there'll be a different twenty teams beating us 😄 

Events like yesterday where first Sunderland score a goal that comes from a huge deflection and then Romero (walking red card or not) gets a season ending injury caused by Brobbey shoving him into Kinsky just feels like the misfortune that befalls teams in trouble down there. I remember in both our 2009 and 2016 relegations that so many things like that where in isolation you can brush it off but overall it just feels like fate's f**ked us over.

 

It's kinda wild that some in the ecosystem of Spurs fans just already feel like they've accepted the inevitable. On the one hand, West Ham and Forest have much more difficult run-ins while Leeds have only won two PL game since Christmas, so there are teams that can be caught, but everyone just looks so demoralised and just accepting of it. It's kinda wild.

 

That magnificent £1bn stadium playing host to a Tuesday night game against Lincoln, Cardiff or one of the sides currently in League 1's play-offs just a few months on from hosting Dortmund and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League is just a crazy thought yaknow.

[thetime]

Hate losing to Leeds, horrible club. 

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

On the one hand, West Ham and Forest have much more difficult run-ins while Leeds have only won two PL game since Christmas

Make that 3 now huh. 

 

Ngl... Didn't see that coming. 

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

Perhaps. There's a lot of churn looking like it'll be on with managers broadly and I think it could be worth us sitting down and pondering if there is someone who is potentially the right fit to take us to the next level if that person is not Eddie. I'd still like it to be him in recognition of the fact he's done well for us and that things may not be necessarily broken forever, but this season is just not going well enough. As I see it, the rest of this season is basically an audition to demonstrate whether or not he's still got what it takes.

 

Certainly, this has the air of a pivotal summer given there looks like there will be a lot of player turnover and we cannot afford another raft of duds like we wound up signing last summer. So I think there has to be a thorough process to make sure either Howe is the right fit for the rebuild that's coming or find somebody else to do the job.

For some reason the bookies have Jose Mourinho as favourite. Can't pretend I'm enthusiastic about the idea of giving the keys to that busted flush.

 

Andoni Iraola is second favourite, is out of contract at Bournemouth and could be a decent hire given other clubs who want to get European football do seem as an option of interest, although if they get Europe, could easily see him just staying there tbh. Oliver Glasner is also on the list of bookies favourites and I know its churlish to dismiss him the literal day after his side beat us but it would require a lot of work to get the squad ready for his 3-4-3.

 

Slot doesn't fill me with enthusiasm if I'm honest, if only for the question of whether being a rebound for someone who's had such an awkward season with Liverpool and who just struggled to integrate a new look squad is the right man for what will be a big turnover. Like, Trippier's going, Schar is probably going along with a few other squad players and I think at least 2 of Bruno, Tonali, Gordon, Livramento, Hall and maybe Woltemade will want to join a club in the Champions League who pay big wages so they'll probably be going. When framed like this, if we are to change, I'd want someone with a a track record of managing a rebuild. Which is actually what makes Iraola attractive right now given Bournemouth still haven't lost a PL game since selling Semenyo, though I am aware from his time there that they are very streaky - managing both double digit winless and unbeaten runs in the same season is wild.

I don't want to be Howe out without respect for his achievements, it just feels like the team is regreessing and he's amplifying not solving problems. I'd still prefer him over Mourinho or Slot mind.

[andyrhodes24]

57 minutes ago, thetime said:

Hate losing to Leeds, horrible club. 

As rattled as Fernandes

 

An awful lot of neutrals will want us to go down but, whether they want to admit it or not, the Premier League is a better place with us in it

[thetime]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

 

An awful lot of neutrals will want us to go down but, whether they want to admit it or not, the Premier League is a better place with us in it

 

I would have to with gritted teeth agree. Certainly adds a bit of spice to the league. Especially as a utd fan, who's distaste for Leeds is as much as Liverpool.

 

One of my most scary games was at Elland Road, Cantona 1st game back at leeds was a bit crazy. 

[andyrhodes24]

6 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I would have to with gritted teeth agree. Certainly adds a bit of spice to the league. Especially as a utd fan, who's distaste for Leeds is as much as Liverpool.

 

One of my most scary games was at Elland Road, Cantona 1st game back at leeds was a bit crazy. 

It’s the same reason why I’d like Millwall to come up from the Championship - it’d make what’s becoming a very dull league a bit more interesting!

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I don't want to be Howe out without respect for his achievements, it just feels like the team is regreessing and he's amplifying not solving problems. I'd still prefer him over Mourinho or Slot mind.

Pretty much. It feels like we're just doing the same basic tactical formation and philosophy and expecting different results. 

 

You can't help but wonder imo if Howe just looks worn out. He was hospitalised this time last year and had to miss several games, the board were very dysfunctional last summer in a way that compromised our player recruitment, Isak threw his tantrum, the new signings haven't worked and we've had to play an extreme amount of games. Fit all that together and you wonder if he needs a break as much as anything else.

 

I do have another concern tbf in that the overlords at Newcastle seem very slow to make decisions. So I dread to think how long a managerial appointment process will be.

 

Saying that, in general there could be clubs made to wait for the World Cup to end, or even have their boss pinched during preseason to take the national team job. So could be a degree of flux on that score coming down the road. 

[charlierc]

14 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

It’s the same reason why I’d like Millwall to come up from the Championship - it’d make what’s becoming a very dull league a bit more interesting!

Millwall v West Ham is one quite a few people are trying to manifest. Well apart from anyone who works for the Met Police. Could well be the first game moved to a 10am kick off on police advice. 

 

I think it's against them in truth - Ipswich now look to have navigated their way to making sure second is theirs to lose while Southampton are currently in flying form and will be hard to beat in the playoffs. Hell if they win at Ipswich in a few weeks they might see automatic promotion as possible. 

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Millwall v West Ham is one quite a few people are trying to manifest. Well apart from anyone who works for the Met Police. Could well be the first game moved to a 10am kick off on police advice. 

 

I think it's against them in truth - Ipswich now look to have navigated their way to making sure second is theirs to lose while Southampton are currently in flying form and will be hard to beat in the playoffs. Hell if they win at Ipswich in a few weeks they might see automatic promotion as possible. 

I’ll always back your Millwalls over the Ipswich and Southampton type teams. Neither of those bring much to the Prem.

 

The Championship is the type of mental league where Boro could bottle the autos (which they probably already have), lose every game and finish sixth and still beat Southampton in the play off final

[lost]

I've nothing personally against Spurs but I'd like one of the break away super league clubs to go down purely because it shows what a stupid idea it was having always present teams in europe whilst keeping the pyramid in domestic football.

 

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks it still can't happen and there are calls going on in the background regarding the revenue the league will lose.

[Gnomicide]

10 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

An awful lot of neutrals will want us to go down but, whether they want to admit it or not, the Premier League is a better place with us in it

 

I post elsewhere on a site with supporters from many different teams, the overwhelming view there is that people want Spurs to go down. 

 

I think I'd have preferred it to be West Ham, I also wouldn't be sad to see the back of Forrest. 

[balti-pie]

I want Spurs to go down and im a bloody Spurs fan tbf - i just want the idiots at the top, the ENIC nepo baby team, punished and the only way to do that is financially. Putting a squad together only focussing on resale potential and what 'feels like a bargain' is ridiculous, we have a dreadful squad full of idiots and accordingly are absolutely incompetent.

I've long thought we're knackered, because we have been dreadful for the last two calendar years - running at just below a point a game over that time.

Yeah injuries and some spectacular decisions against us have helped it (two hands in the back is a push! no hang on it isnt! and now again it is!) but now it seems the footballing gods are conspiring alongside our own crapness to see us down. I'd rather make peace with it now cos there's no point in getting my hopes up, i'll just be disappointed again.

 

And besides, i prefer Aussie Rules football and if a Spurs relegation means i get a Fremantle premiership, in terms of karma righting itself, then personally speaking i'm shaking hands with the devil right now for that deal 😄

[Gnomicide]

I think most of my opinion on who I'd like relegated is based around fans of each club that I've met or know.

 

West Ham fan I know - colossal dickhead.

Leeds - great lad. 

Notts Forest - idiot. 

Spurs - Nice fella.

 

If we were expanding this out to all clubs, I've never met a Man City fan that I didn't think was (at best) a knob. And considering I worked in Salford for 5 years, that's quite the hit rate.

 

[andyrhodes24]

I’m keen for Spurs to go down because it would be a sensational story, but it would really distort the Championship and increase the likelihood of all relegated sides going straight back up.

 

What makes the Championship an outstanding division is how competitive it is, but that is slowly dwindling at the moment - Ipswich were atrocious in the Prem but haven’t needed to go beyond second gear this season

[charlierc]

6 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

I’ll always back your Millwalls over the Ipswich and Southampton type teams. Neither of those bring much to the Prem.

 

The Championship is the type of mental league where Boro could bottle the autos (which they probably already have), lose every game and finish sixth and still beat Southampton in the play off final

Tbf Ipswich were in League One 5 years ago so I'm not thrusting them into the conversation just yet in a way Southampton or Burnley seem to be stuck in. 

 

For a while, it looked like Middlesbrough were about to take second and even challenge Coventry for top but yeah they've totally stuffed it. But yeah, can you put it past them to take advantage strange magic of the play offs? Sunderland last season did that after all after months of poor league form. 

[charlierc]

4 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

 

I post elsewhere on a site with supporters from many different teams, the overwhelming view there is that people want Spurs to go down. 

 

I think I'd have preferred it to be West Ham, I also wouldn't be sad to see the back of Forrest. 

I think it's reached saturation point that a lot of people are egging on Spurs falling through the trapdoor. 

 

I thought Forest would go down tbf having gone through 4 managers but they do look like they've lucked into a decent choice. I'm not sure if I'd back Vitor to carry on for next season based on his awful work with Wolves at the start of this season. 

 

But with that, Leeds looking like they can get a result where needed and West Ham having something about them, it just doesn't look good for Spurs. It's not inevitable, but it's not great either. 

[lost]

History seems to show a team like Spurs generally put on about 8 points from here when they stay up but they are capable of 12. Didn't big Sam do 12 at Sunderland and Villa did 9 the year of the phantom goal when Sheff utd went down? 

 

I think Forest could get bogged down with the European matches, I'd have Forest / West ham finishing around 39 points.

[charlierc]

PSG remain decent at football. Nothing new learned there. Ekiteke getting started off looks very much like something Liverpool didn't need given he's been one of the new signings that's worked out best. 

 

Guess for them the quest now is trying to re-qualify for it next season. 

[charlierc]

On 13/04/2026 at 19:40, charlierc said:

Andoni Iraola is second favourite, is out of contract at Bournemouth and could be a decent hire given other clubs who want to get European football do seem as an option of interest, although if they get Europe, could easily see him just staying there tbh.

The literal day after I write this and it's confirmed that Iraola will be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season. Clearly my skills of prophecy aren't strong if I'm writing that. 

 

Early rumour is his family wants to go back to Spain and that he's an early contender to join Athletic Bilbao, who he played a lot for and who are looking for a new manager. So he might not be in the running for us or indeed the other PL sides that admire his work. 

[thetime]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

The literal day after I write this and it's confirmed that Iraola will be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season. Clearly my skills of prophecy aren't strong if I'm writing that. 

 

Early rumour is his family wants to go back to Spain and that he's an early contender to join Athletic Bilbao, who he played a lot for and who are looking for a new manager. So he might not be in the running for us or indeed the other PL sides that admire his work. 

 

Slot to Newcastle makes sense to me. 

[charlierc]

54 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Slot to Newcastle makes sense to me. 

It kinda doesn't to me tbh. Gives me Postecoglu to Forest vibes of someone rushing back too quickly after it went wrong somewhere else. 

[Skip997]

55 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Slot to Newcastle makes sense to me. 

And me

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Slot to Newcastle makes sense to me. 

Given our problems have been managing multiple games with insufficient rotation after a summer of signing square pegs for round holes, this feels like the exact way to make all our problems 5 times worse.