Football 2025-26

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Will just be a huge fine. 

I would expect that to be the case, yes. The EFL has the option to exclude a team in theory but whether they'd have the balls in a meeting 4 days before the playoff final is a different question. I know they toughened up the rules after Bielsa (which got Leeds a £200,000 fine) and I know there were big penalties for the Canadians for doing this at the Paris Olympics but if you ask me, as much as they could do it in theory, I don't expect it to happen. 

 

What could tip it imo is if there is conclusive proof Southampton have been doing this with everyone they've played recently, although talk of that seems to have receded after it was initially suggested.

[Skip997]

Hell of an “achievement” to make a team worse match by match 

[charlierc]

6 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Hell of an “achievement” to make a team worse match by match 

Mo Salah just put the following on Instagram: "Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I've always said, qualifying to next season's Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen."

 

Not exactly a ringing endorsement huh. Their second half against Villa yesterday was pretty dreadful.

[charlierc]

On 14/05/2026 at 09:52, balti-pie said:

For those of us actively cheering against a Hearts title- which is basically Celtic and Hibs, and nobody else, all the neutrals are marooned - it was an absolutely hilarious ending. I dont care how Hearts lose, whether its by fair means or foul, i just want them in the mud. Giving them fifty years of moaning about being cheated out of the title will do me!  

Well, you got it. And can't even say cheated either given the penalty to Celtic in first half stoppage time was one and the late goal given as onside by VAR was indeed correcting a clear and obvious error for once. I did see a clip on Reddit of Hibs fans going loco when the announcer confirmed the final score. Though I suspect the pitch invasion for the third Celtic goal and talk of possible scraps between Celtic fans and Hearts players might get attention in the days to come.

 

Oh yeah and Man City won the FA Cup which... cool. Least the winning goal was nice.

Edited May 16 by charlierc

[Skip997]

I believe the unnecessary demise of Liverpool engineered by Slot was the real reason Salah is leaving. Salah, Jones, Robertson, and Sobozli (sp) have all suggested there’s a problem with Slot. At least two of them are leaving, keeping Slot may well drive the other two out and likely Allison 

[lost]

Great timing if true:

 

 

[thetime]

Surprised Alonso has taken the Chelsea job. Looks like Slot is there for next season what ever happens then. 

 

[Skip997]

12 minutes ago, thetime said:

Surprised Alonso has taken the Chelsea job. Looks like Slot is there for next season what ever happens then. 

 

Complete idiocy from Alonso. I now no longer want him as manager.

[Skip997]

14 minutes ago, thetime said:

Surprised Alonso has taken the Chelsea job. Looks like Slot is there for next season what ever happens then. 

 

I guess I will have the “excitement” of battling to avoid relegation. A new for me 

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

Surprised Alonso has taken the Chelsea job. Looks like Slot is there for next season what ever happens then. 

 

Fastest finger first like in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, right? They had a manager vacancy, they seemingly decided early on to get him and may well have decided to offer concessions as an acknowledgement that their structure with 6 sporting directors isn't working. Or at least given the surface level that they'd be prepared to offer concessions given it wouldn't be a surprise to see the empire strike back at some point in such an alliance. 

 

It's an intriguing appointment tbf. 

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, Skip997 said:

I believe the unnecessary demise of Liverpool engineered by Slot was the real reason Salah is leaving. Salah, Jones, Robertson, and Sobozli (sp) have all suggested there’s a problem with Slot. At least two of them are leaving, keeping Slot may well drive the other two out and likely Allison 

"Unnecessary demise" makes it sound like Liverpool are currently down with Spurs and West Ham. I get more of a vibe like Brendan Rodgers in 2014 where the transfer committee botched the rebuild, even if it's not an exact parallel as that was forced through Suarez leaving, but the base level talent was enough insulation to prevent falling further. At least depending on whether Bournemouth or Brighton can swipe 5th on the final day. 

 

This summer does give off a situation like 2015 as well, or indeed Man Utd when they should've sacked ten Hag in 2024 but gave him another chance and another £200mil, neither of which went to plan. I'm aware a lot of Liverpool fans are turning on Slot. I was prepared to give the benefit of the doubt for much of the season and say much of this is on the transfer committee who have a bigger say on these things, but if you're getting described by pundits as bad in and out of possession, when the whole idea of last summer's signings was because the manager wanted to be better at possession football, it ain't a good look.

 

Tbf I'm not exactly sympathetic that Isak turned out to be a dud given the whole saga was infuriating as a Newcastle fan. It's been lose all round - player's reputation has been dented, Liverpool got distracted by the idea of signing him rather than Guehi and another left winger that they needed more and we threw the cash on Woltemade, who Howe wants to play as a holding midfielder and Wissa, who has not been good enough. 

[kaosmark2]

Feels a strange one to me, I dunno if Alonso's representatives ever spoke to Liverpool, but while Real Madrid and Chelsea are both nightmare jobs that a manager can be excused for failing at, both in quick succession is probably too much to recover a reputation. I'd argue the Liverpool job is much easier, and if Alonso fancied Chelsea in case Liverpool didn't come in, he could always wait 6-12 months and it'd be available again.

 

It's also hard to know what would actually define "success" at Chelsea. They're not close enough to winning things that it feels a realistic target within 2 seasons, but there's so much money in that team and such ridiculous depth that finishing top 5 should be the baseline even though they've only done it 1/4 last seasons. I'd probably say there's only 3 really elite players that big teams would want (James, Caicedo, Palmer). 

 

On the plus side, looks more likely that Slot will be there next season

[thetime]

Just now, kaosmark2 said:

Feels a strange one to me, I dunno if Alonso's representatives ever spoke to Liverpool, but while Real Madrid and Chelsea are both nightmare jobs that a manager can be excused for failing at, both in quick succession is probably too much to recover a reputation. I'd argue the Liverpool job is much easier, and if Alonso fancied Chelsea in case Liverpool didn't come in, he could always wait 6-12 months and it'd be available again.

 

It's also hard to know what would actually define "success" at Chelsea. They're not close enough to winning things that it feels a realistic target within 2 seasons, but there's so much money in that team and such ridiculous depth that finishing top 5 should be the baseline even though they've only done it 1/4 last seasons. I'd probably say there's only 3 really elite players that big teams would want (James, Caicedo, Palmer). 

 

On the plus side, looks more likely that Slot will be there next season

 

Perhaps he just didn't fancy Liverpool, especially with the big names coming to the end. Dijk hitting 35 in the summer, Salah going with Robertson. Also Alison coming up to 34 and near the end. 

 

Plenty have recovered from a chelsea sacking, just seems what happens at Chelsea. 

[Skip997]

4 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Perhaps he just didn't fancy Liverpool, especially with the big names coming to the end. Dijk hitting 35 in the summer, Salah going with Robertson. Also Alison coming up to 34 and near the end. 

 

Plenty have recovered from a chelsea sacking, just seems what happens at Chelsea. 

I expect Allison and Jones will also leave if Slot stays, possibly along with Szbo and maybe one or two others.

 

From the responses to Salah’s comments from current players and some ex Liverpool players, it looks like he’s lost the dressing room 

[lost]

Think thats it for West Ham. Spurs really only need 1 point from a Chelsea team who played 3 days before and Everton who have not won since March.

[balti-pie]

11 minutes ago, lost said:

Think thats it for West Ham. Spurs really only need 1 point from a Chelsea team who played 3 days before and Everton who have not won since March.

Yes, that’s all very true, but this is Tottenham Hotspur we’re talking about here. We could turn the most beautiful soft delicate piece of cow hide into a rancid torn arsehole with a mere flick of the wrist.
 

(That said, I don’t think West Ham will beat Leeds, so we’re probably safe by proxy - thankfully - cos we are a million percent losing at Chelsea and we can’t win a home game to save our lives, almost literally, I can very much see us lose both) 

[charlierc]

25 minutes ago, lost said:

Think thats it for West Ham. Spurs really only need 1 point from a Chelsea team who played 3 days before and Everton who have not won since March.

Aye I think their goose is cooked. Even if Chelsea and Everton do the necessary huge favours, I just can't see West Ham beating Leeds on the final day and that lets Spurs off the hook. They were awful until falling 3 down in a way that genuinely surprised me. West Ham fans are saying the choice to go back to 3 at the back after playing 4-4-2 or a variation of in most of their decent form since New Year's was a crazy one and it proved. Although tbf they still had a few chances after that thunderbastard to make it 3-1.

 

Somehow we still have a chance of making 8th and the Conference League. Just need to beat Fulham, Liverpool to beat Brentford, a combined 3 goal swing between those two games, and Chelsea to lose to Spurs then draw at Sunderland on the final day... I didn't say it was a great chance. Top half is honestly now the limit of my ambition. But just nice to get a good win. Osula is ending the season strong and I thought the unit with him & Woltemade looked very promising, as tbf it did in patches at Forest last week.

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Feels a strange one to me, I dunno if Alonso's representatives ever spoke to Liverpool, but while Real Madrid and Chelsea are both nightmare jobs that a manager can be excused for failing at, both in quick succession is probably too much to recover a reputation. I'd argue the Liverpool job is much easier, and if Alonso fancied Chelsea in case Liverpool didn't come in, he could always wait 6-12 months and it'd be available again.

 

It's also hard to know what would actually define "success" at Chelsea. They're not close enough to winning things that it feels a realistic target within 2 seasons, but there's so much money in that team and such ridiculous depth that finishing top 5 should be the baseline even though they've only done it 1/4 last seasons. I'd probably say there's only 3 really elite players that big teams would want (James, Caicedo, Palmer). 

 

On the plus side, looks more likely that Slot will be there next season

Certainly, Liverpool as a club seem more prepared to given managers time, as we're seen by the seeming choice to go through with Slot again for next season despite the hints growing the players aren't feeling it. Plus you'd imagine he's aware Chelsea are a bit impatient with their bosses.

 

I think Chelsea have probably had the benefit of getting in there first tbh. I think he'd have gone to Liverpool if they'd decided a few weeks or so back that they needed a change, but they seem set in their approach. I agree that Chelsea are a peculiar club - spending huge money on a squad that looks quite mediocre for the investment into it and never quite looking like they should. Only thing I can think of is that Alonso must've had some guarantees to be able to build the squad he wants, although given how Chelsea work, it feels like that the sporting director armada they have will re-assert themselves before long.

 

I don't think they're a million miles away tbf - yes it was a fortunate draw but they got to the FA Cup final while they won 2 trophies last season (admittedly one was a Conference League they should've won and one was a Club World Cup where its questionable that many people gave a sh*t). Winning the Premier League, they will need a lot of work to get that far.

9 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Perhaps he just didn't fancy Liverpool, especially with the big names coming to the end. Dijk hitting 35 in the summer, Salah going with Robertson. Also Alison coming up to 34 and near the end. 

 

Plenty have recovered from a chelsea sacking, just seems what happens at Chelsea. 

In a way, you could be charitable and claim last season was part 1 of a rebuild with this summer now being part 2. Alisson's injury record means I wouldn't be surprised if he gets moved on in the summer, but that squad will need a fair bit of work. At the very least it'll need the centre-back and left-winger they should've got last summer. Salah going does in a way open the door because he felt incompatible with Slot wanting a different system that requires wingers to put in more defensive duties.

 

Though admittedly the lack of confidence that seems to be in Slot makes me think that, assuming they keep him on, it's an alliance that looks likely to implode unless they go on a run like they did in his first half-season.

[Ben7amin_]

Chelsea will turn into the greatest footballing side to f over Spurs as  ever despite form, Their fans will demand it.

 

Getting 1 point from these two games, while i think Spurs can do it -  we will make it into one hell of an up hill strugle

 

watching our front three of Tel, Richarlison and Muani try to get a goal is very hard watching in deed, they need a lot of chances to convert one - having 3 work hard but struggle with the goalscoring side of attacking play  type forwards on at the same time is a frustrating watch for fans,  Id trade any of them for a fir Solanke in a second 

[balti-pie]

8 hours ago, Ben7amin_ said:

Chelsea will turn into the greatest footballing side to f over Spurs as  ever despite form, Their fans will demand it.

 

Getting 1 point from these two games, while i think Spurs can do it -  we will make it into one hell of an up hill strugle

 

watching our front three of Tel, Richarlison and Muani try to get a goal is very hard watching in deed, they need a lot of chances to convert one - having 3 work hard but struggle with the goalscoring side of attacking play  type forwards on at the same time is a frustrating watch for fans,  Id trade any of them for a fir Solanke in a second 

The end of this season will be a wonderful thing to anticipate. Two months of them not being able to hurt us! 😄

 

id love to see the back of a fair few players - just go, please, for free, for whatever, i'm not fussed about transfer fees. Just please dont let me watch Vicario yelling at defenders after his f**kups have led to us conceding for the ninetieth time this month. No more Romero standing around before battering the innocent shins of the nearest brazilian. Braindead idiot. No more Porro and his myriad of teeth. No more Muani and his little confused face! 

[Ben7amin_]

25 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

The end of this season will be a wonderful thing to anticipate. Two months of them not being able to hurt us! 😄

 

id love to see the back of a fair few players - just go, please, for free, for whatever, i'm not fussed about transfer fees. Just please dont let me watch Vicario yelling at defenders after his f**kups have led to us conceding for the ninetieth time this month. No more Romero standing around before battering the innocent shins of the nearest brazilian. Braindead idiot. No more Porro and his myriad of teeth. No more Muani and his little confused face! 

 

 

Lot of Rumours saying Vicario to Inter is done -    to be honest im quite happy to see the back of him Kinski deserves to keep his place and ideally look at other options in the summer.

 

Romero will always have a special place in my heart - but yeah its tough to watch and his self control is minimal i was reminded of the wreck less red card against Chelsea a short while ago the other night -  Vuskovic should be easily able to fill those shoes

 

I suspect Sarr might leave as suddenly we have a lot in that area

 

Think we might struggle to keep Van Der Ven for champions league sadly 

 

As for Muani - at least with the other two Richarlison gets under the defenders skin and Tel can drive at defenders -  I do not know what the f Muani is meant to be  -  the awkward control stride forward and fumble it out for a opposition throw routine is getting taxing -   

 

Imagine the team tomorrow will be the same as last time - due to limited options but honestly if i saw Archie Gray, Bergvall or Spence playing out of position in a front 3 instead of Muani you would see no complaints from me -  the lad is useless  after Vincent Jansen id say second worst striker of the premier league era 

[charlierc]

The buzz is that Guardiola has decided now is the time to leave Man City. Be interesting to see how that affects their vibe against Bournemouth tonight, given Arsenal's win last night means if Man City don't win tonight, the Premier League title race is over.

 

On Arsenal, Havertz really got away with that red card-worthy challenge. Even a lot of Arsenal fans were saying "How was he not shown a red there?"

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, charlierc said:

The buzz is that Guardiola has decided now is the time to leave Man City. Be interesting to see how that affects their vibe against Bournemouth tonight, given Arsenal's win last night means if Man City don't win tonight, the Premier League title race is over.

 

On Arsenal, Havertz really got away with that red card-worthy challenge. Even a lot of Arsenal fans were saying "How was he not shown a red there?"

 

Don't care who wins the league. But wouldn't it be great if Bournemouth beat city and forest,  then Liverpool don't beat Brentford. That would be the cherry. 

[pink_triangle]

Apparently clubs get compensated for how long players are at the World Cup. As a Wrexham supporter let’s hope for that Scotland v New Zealand final.

[charlierc]

On 15/05/2026 at 21:49, thetime said:

 

Will just be a huge fine. 

I will say I thought they would just be fined. And yet, here we are: Southampton expelled from play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough, Oxford and Ipswich - BBC Sport

 

That's a big whammy of punishments tbf - thrown out of Saturday's play-off final and a deduction of 4 points next season. Curiously, for all that a fine was what I thought would be a likely punishment, no fine at all was issued. We're assuming an appeal is coming, which would almost certainly mean the play-off final gets pushed back and possibly relocated as Wembley isn't available a week later.