Football 2025-26

[balti-pie]

As a bit of a Hibs plastic, i'm finding it surprisingly stressful keeping an eye on the scottish prem - ok i know the mighty Hibees will always do nothing but disappoint, thats fine, i'm used to that after the four decades ive been following them, but if there's any club on the entire face of the whole bloody planet we cant have usurping the Old Firm, its jambo nazi arseholes Hearts, obviously 😄 

 

its just a disgusting state of affairs all round. With arsenal probably winning the premiership, we'll now see Gary Barlow given a Nobel prize and Ed Sheeran made King of Sussex, because fates are conspiring to give me punishment. Specifically me, and specifically for things i find abhorrent. Feels a bit harsh, i'm not going to lie! 

 

And having made peace with the idea of Spurs getting relegated and quite fancying the change of scene and different experience, we might now bloody stay up and doubtlessly end up just as shite next year as well. In short - i'm just cementing my enjoyment of Aussie Rules footy, and ignoring it all here 👍

[Crazyfool01]

going to take something to match first leg ....... oh 🙂 

[Punksnotdead]

1 hour ago, Crazyfool01 said:

going to take something to match first leg ....... oh 🙂 

Obviously not but it's still been a good watch. Surely PSG will be too good for Arsenal - I know which team I'd rather watch on a regular basis!

[Crazyfool01]

19 minutes ago, Punksnotdead said:

Obviously not but it's still been a good watch. Surely PSG will be too good for Arsenal - I know which team I'd rather watch on a regular basis!

Yep typed that after the goal but absolutely still a cracking game and the skill levels psg showed were pretty incredible and also nearly holding Bayern goal less  would have been a feat in itself . Can’t see past psg on that performance but strange things happen . That said I’ll go for psg by 3 

Edited May 6 by Crazyfool01

[charlierc]

How on Earth did Bayern not get a penalty for the handball by João Neves? Crazy refereeing. 

 

Anyway, PSG v Arsenal final then. Could be a very interesting game indeed. Chelsea did give a blueprint for how PSG could be seen off in last year's Club World Cup final but that array of confident attacking talent is going to be a challenge to stop. 

[lost]

I know Kvaratskhelia and Doue are fantastic players but Bayern's full backs felt like they were still in the oppostion half, half the time when PSG were through on goal. I wonder if its a german league thing as Frimpong has felt the same for Liverpool this season. 

[charlierc]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/donald-trump-world-cup-ticket-prices

 

We're in a strange spot if President Billionaire is saying the price of admission at this World Cup is getting out of hand. 

[charlierc]

I'm aware people won't have sympathy for Real Madrid given it's Real Madrid but f**k me they sound like they're imploding. Valverde going to hospital with a brain injury that may or may not have been caused by fighting a teammate, Mbappe being the subject of a petition to sell after he went on holiday, reports of players arguing with one another all the time and the small matter of El Clasico at the weekend, where if they fail to win, Barcelona are champions. And this week came rumours they might bring back Mourinho because that fire needs more fuel. 

 

Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in European finals. What a time to be alive indeed. Could yet be 3/3 Premier League winners. 

[charlierc]

On 06/05/2026 at 13:19, balti-pie said:

As a bit of a Hibs plastic, i'm finding it surprisingly stressful keeping an eye on the scottish prem - ok i know the mighty Hibees will always do nothing but disappoint, thats fine, i'm used to that after the four decades ive been following them, but if there's any club on the entire face of the whole bloody planet we cant have usurping the Old Firm, its jambo nazi arseholes Hearts, obviously 😄 

 

its just a disgusting state of affairs all round. With arsenal probably winning the premiership, we'll now see Gary Barlow given a Nobel prize and Ed Sheeran made King of Sussex, because fates are conspiring to give me punishment. Specifically me, and specifically for things i find abhorrent. Feels a bit harsh, i'm not going to lie! 

 

And having made peace with the idea of Spurs getting relegated and quite fancying the change of scene and different experience, we might now bloody stay up and doubtlessly end up just as shite next year as well. In short - i'm just cementing my enjoyment of Aussie Rules footy, and ignoring it all here 👍

I did wonder what Hibs made of the other Edinburgh side being the team to challenge the Glasgow duopoly. I imagine some might be ok reconciling that it's good for Scottish football for those two to not have the championship on lock but also be annoyed it just couldn't be Aberdeen or themselves. Plus tbf I don't think the Edinburgh derby is quite as well known down here but I gather has a similar origin story to the other side of the central belt. 

 

Tbf to the relegation thing, as I gather Spurs and West Ham aren't fond of each other, I'd have thought there'd be a little amusement at squeezing in ahead of them. Plus it seems to be opening up given West Ham have a more difficult looking final 3. Even helps that Chelsea are currently collapsing, although I'm guessing some Spurs fans will have that fear in the back of the head that they turn up just to be spoilers a la the game that won Leicester the league 10 years ago. 

[balti-pie]

Chelsea have lost their last six - their club record for consecutive defeats is seven, which they'll match when they lose away at Liverpool tomorrow. So they can then beat that record if they were to lose at home to Tottenham, which they wont, because for some reason it doesnt matter how good or bad they are, they always turn up for the game vs Tottenham. They treat it as their most important fixture . . . . Tottenham absolutely dont, for us its another tough prem game. 

 

Ive always found it deeply weird that they sing about us every time they walk out - as they play Liquidator, the chelsea fans shout 'we hate Tottenham! Chelsea!' so we're more important in their minds than they are 😄 i dunno, i remember a reasonable amount of trophy wins sort of recently (yes, i do have a long memory) and we did't sing about Chelsea at them. or West Ham, for that matter. We sang about ourselves!

I couldnt care less if its Forest or West Ham that go down at our expense - reaches out and touches wood! - if anything i'd prefer it to be Forest because of that monstrosity of a chairman. I cant hate West Ham, they have enough to deal with! 

Edited May 8 by balti-pie

[pink_triangle]

Some interesting situations that could happen on the last game of the season. Arsenal playing palace with rumours that palace could be in line for a payment if Arsenal win the league.

 

Also a possible situation where if Brentford are in 6th they could benefit from losing to Liverpool, to keep Liverpool above Villa.

[thetime]

On 08/05/2026 at 14:25, pink_triangle said:

Some interesting situations that could happen on the last game of the season. Arsenal playing palace with rumours that palace could be in line for a payment if Arsenal win the league.

 

Also a possible situation where if Brentford are in 6th they could benefit from losing to Liverpool, to keep Liverpool above Villa.

 

Liverpool lose to villa and Brighton beat Leeds, Utd to throw the game against Brighton. 😎

[Skip997]

When are they going to sack Slot? It’s getting more ridiculous by the day.

 

Spurs lose 5 in a row then draw at Anfield. Chelsea lose 6 in a row and then draw at Anfield. He’s way out of his depth 

[charlierc]

That ending at the West Ham v Arsenal game - extraordinary stuff.

 

For what its worth, I did think it was a foul on Raya by Pablo (and possibly Todibo as well as angles hint they were both at it) but that at least one Arsenal player was very fortunate not to have given away a penalty for a foul somewhere in that melee. The just-as-big what could have been for West Ham may also be that moment when Raya made a brilliant save from Fernandes just before the goal.

 

If Spurs beat Leeds tomorrow, I think that's it and West Ham are down. And that's even with them having us to play next weekend, given our latest dropped points means Europe now looks like something we're not going to achieve and we might well just be on the beach. For what its worth, I thought we weren't too bad at Forest, just that our inability to hold onto leads held us back yet again.

Edited May 10 by charlierc

[pink_triangle]

3 minutes ago, charlierc said:

That ending at the West Ham v Arsenal game - extraordinary stuff.

 

For what its worth, I did think it was a foul on Raya by Pablo (and possibly Todibo as well as angles hint they were both at it) but that at least one Arsenal player was very fortunate not to have given away a penalty for a foul somewhere in that melee. 

I watched it and I wasn’t sure if it was a foul or not. I can accept that being given as a goal and can accept that being given as a foul. My issue with VAR is it lookimg for certainty when there can’t always be certainty. This to me is the type of decision that VAR should not be involved in and should go with the original referee.

[lost]

Its consistency again. The stuff Arsenal have been getting away with all season on corners made that look mild. As already mentioned there wasn't enough there for a clear error and then the VAR referal.

[charlierc]

13 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I watched it and I wasn’t sure if it was a foul or not. I can accept that being given as a goal and can accept that being given as a foul. My issue with VAR is it lookimg for certainty when there can’t always be certainty. This to me is the type of decision that VAR should not be involved in and should go with the original referee.

There's been goals throughout this season where a keeper has been interfered with at corners, so it will bleed back into that argument about the fact the referees are not consistent. Maybe it was ever thus in the pre-VAR era tbf, but having the tech has certainly helped to raise attention to the consistency or lack thereof. From the moment it became something had happened, it was just gonna be one of those things that, if you give it or not, is going to piss off a lot of people.

 

For me, I felt it was a foul on Raya and have no problem with that in isolation, but I also felt that one of 2/3 Arsenal players should've been called up for fouling in the box as there were multiple things in the box going on and a penalty given. But it is what it is.

 

It's definitely that argument tbf that's been there since VAR first came in about what its for - is it being used for clear and obvious errors or is it being used to re-referee things? 

[pink_triangle]

The most telling thing now is that you will struggle to find a single football league fan who wants it brought in.

[Punksnotdead]

Time for a rule change IMO. I'm sick of seeing 8 or 9 players in the 6 yard box all fouling each other from corners! I'd make it so you can only have 1 defender and 1 attacker + the goalie in the 6 yard box - make it so you need some skill & guile to score from corners.

[balti-pie]

Missed opportunity for the ref to disallow the goal for a foul - which it was - and then award a penalty, because there’s a bare minimum of three penalties given away in that one instance alone.
 

It’s unwatchable bollocks, i cannot be bothered with watching wrestling - at least WWE has men in pants to entertain

[Crazyfool01]

16 hours ago, balti-pie said:

Missed opportunity for the ref to disallow the goal for a foul - which it was - and then award a penalty, because there’s a bare minimum of three penalties given away in that one instance alone.
 

It’s unwatchable bollocks, i cannot be bothered with watching wrestling - at least WWE has men in pants to entertain

Is there something that says the keeper gets priority in the rules ? I mean he was clearly impeded but there are also clearly other fouls that could have been given as penalty’s .. rice the most clear . Given arsenal have been impeding the keeper most of the season they should almost have to suck it up , you reap what you sow . Definately a change in rules required it’s an absolute sh*t show 

[thetime]

4 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

 Definately a change in rules required it’s an absolute sh*t show 

 

Unfortunately whilst a change is needed, it will go in the opposite direction. Wasn't long ago when you couldn't even touch the goalkeeper and a foal was given. 

[charlierc]

23 hours ago, Punksnotdead said:

Time for a rule change IMO. I'm sick of seeing 8 or 9 players in the 6 yard box all fouling each other from corners! I'd make it so you can only have 1 defender and 1 attacker + the goalie in the 6 yard box - make it so you need some skill & guile to score from corners.

I dunno. Feels like it over-policing it would just get gimmicky. Best way to police it is more of a zero tolerance thing for the more over-the-top wrestling or rugby scrum tactics.

 

Least until we get bored of that and the moral panic is about now allowing more leniency with those situations.

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

Unfortunately whilst a change is needed, it will go in the opposite direction. Wasn't long ago when you couldn't even touch the goalkeeper and a foal was given. 

At least contact with the keeper is sometimes reffed correctly.

 

It’s the tactical timeouts with keepers going down ‘injured’ that really needs dealing with.

[Comfy Bean]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

At least contact with the keeper is sometimes reffed correctly.

 

It’s the tactical timeouts with keepers going down ‘injured’ that really needs dealing with.

My team were doing the tactical time out thing. Bench were signalling to the keeper who would sit down holding his calf/thigh/back. You could see them preparing the water bottles etc minutes before. Awful behaviour 😞