Football 2025-26

[pink_triangle]

4 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

The old system wasn’t broken so why try to fix it? EFL milking it for the revenue. Three up from the National League is the more pressing issue to solve.

I also think the relegated premiership parachute payments need to be significantly reduced. I don’t think I would call for this change, but it doesn’t really bother me either. I suspect vast majority of seasons a team 3rd to 6th will still go up. My only concern is this being the first step to expanding more.

[charlierc]

Spurs... oh dear God.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

The old system wasn’t broken so why try to fix it? EFL milking it for the revenue. Three up from the National League is the more pressing issue to solve.

I think this should be a thing but you're not going to get League 2 teams voting for it given those at the bottom of the pile or who could be sucked into it will see it as voting to give themselves more problems. Pretty sure it took a long time to give them their second place. It's like the parachute payments - I agree its distorting the Championship's competitive balance (albeit not as much this year with Southampton, Leicester and Sheffield United having all missed the mark so far this season), but I fail to see clubs voting to reduce them in case they need them.

[pink_triangle]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

Spurs... oh dear God.

It feels to me it would be hilarious to many if spurs went down. As a neutral it feels the owners have a lot to answer. I personally feel Frank was a sensible choice and wouldn’t blame them for that. However their wage:income ratio is very low and I think it tells when you look at the  squad.

[kaosmark2]

@pink_triangle

Can't quote posts atm, but it's not that I'm a believer in Pep-ball being true football, it's mostly that Arsenal are so defensively minded the last 18 months. 

 

Across Europe and the rest of the league, when a central midfielder is on the ball and the team is attacking, most other teams have 3 forwards, another midfielder or two, and a full-back overlapping to be ahead of the ball, committing players forward to stretch the play and try to create a chance. That's usually 4-6, which both makes the attack more threatening, and creates a chance for a counter-attack to actually threaten.

 

Arsenal don't do that, their full-backs stay back 90% of the time, the other midfielder stays in line, and it's 3-4 ahead of the ball. They play inherently defensively with their attacking commitments, waiting for either a set piece chance, or a moment of magic (usually from Saka, sometimes Eze) to create a shot at goal.

 

If the full-backs stayed back but the other midfielders attacked, like Arsenal did in the 23-24 season, and the first few months of last season, it'd still be enjoyable. But everything about how Arteta instructs that team this season is about mitigating risk. Sure, a lot of Fergie's teams won ugly, but the handbrake is so eternally on that it's just dull. Mourinho's Chelsea tried to get the 2-0 and would still have 5 players moving forward until the 60th/70th minute or whatever. Brighton are in the bottom half of the table and Arsenal didn't get a 2nd shot on target on Wednesday until the 88th minute!

 

I despise Klopp and think he's a whinging bastard on the level of Mourinho, but the gegenpress and end-to-end football was far better to watch than either the very latest version of Arteta's Arsenal (and they haven't been like this for his whole time in charge), or Slot football. Even aside from being an actual fan of the club, I really enjoyed Newcastle's press + counter style last season (less in show this season except in Europe). It's not about the spread of Pep gospel, I just genuinely think this Arsenal team are more reminiscent of defensive-minded 90s Italian football but with modern fitness regimes and set pieces drills than anything remotely resembling excitement. Fat Sam's teams were more entertaining!

[lost]

13 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

 However their wage:income ratio is very low and I think it tells when you look at the  squad.

 

I'm always suprised when I see that stat as when competing for players they do actually seem to do ok. Even as recently as getting Gallagher when apparently a few clubs were in for him recently.

 

Thats also the danger for Spurs for me, even if the other stadium events protect them financially and they come straight back up, that reputation hit they are going to get from going down is going to be much more difficult to repair. They then maybe in with the next mini league of clubs down when competing for players.

[charlierc]

20 hours ago, lost said:

 

I'm always suprised when I see that stat as when competing for players they do actually seem to do ok. Even as recently as getting Gallagher when apparently a few clubs were in for him recently.

 

Thats also the danger for Spurs for me, even if the other stadium events protect them financially and they come straight back up, that reputation hit they are going to get from going down is going to be much more difficult to repair. They then maybe in with the next mini league of clubs down when competing for players.

Spurs already felt like a team that, for whatever reason, was shopping in similar markets to the likes of us, Villa, West Ham, hell, even Brighton or Brentford, with a business model seemingly around trying to flip players for a big profit, seemingly hoping they'd find another Bale or Modric (or arguably Kane, given the fee they got for him). But it feels like they got the balance wrong.

 

Certainly, injuries haven't helped - Kulusevski and Maddison have missed the whole season and I suspect will miss the entire campaign, all of the defenders have had injury issues at various points, Solanke missed the first half of this season, etc. I've also seen an argument Gallagher, for all he's decent, wasn't the midfielder they truly needed, in that they needed someone more creative whereas since his Palace loan spell, he's not really been a big creator.

 

It could well be that losing Kane, who will probably be remembered as one of Spurs' best ever players, as well as Son's decline and a failure to adequately refresh is the heart of this. Plus the floor has definitely altered. An iffy season for a big 6 club used to just be finishing around 7-10, which all of Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal have done in the last 10 years (admittedly Liverpool's was 2015/16, but still just within the sample size). With such a tight competitive balance between everyone now, however, and a return of that feeling that anyone can beat anyone on their day that we perhaps didn't a few years ago, Spurs just look like a team who got convinced they had it sussed and got found out, like Leicester did up to their 2023 drop.

[pink_triangle]

On 06/03/2026 at 08:47, kaosmark2 said:

@pink_triangle

Can't quote posts atm, but it's not that I'm a believer in Pep-ball being true football, it's mostly that Arsenal are so defensively minded the last 18 months. 

 

Across Europe and the rest of the league, when a central midfielder is on the ball and the team is attacking, most other teams have 3 forwards, another midfielder or two, and a full-back overlapping to be ahead of the ball, committing players forward to stretch the play and try to create a chance. That's usually 4-6, which both makes the attack more threatening, and creates a chance for a counter-attack to actually threaten.

 

Arsenal don't do that, their full-backs stay back 90% of the time, the other midfielder stays in line, and it's 3-4 ahead of the ball. They play inherently defensively with their attacking commitments, waiting for either a set piece chance, or a moment of magic (usually from Saka, sometimes Eze) to create a shot at goal.

 

If the full-backs stayed back but the other midfielders attacked, like Arsenal did in the 23-24 season, and the first few months of last season, it'd still be enjoyable. But everything about how Arteta instructs that team this season is about mitigating risk. Sure, a lot of Fergie's teams won ugly, but the handbrake is so eternally on that it's just dull. Mourinho's Chelsea tried to get the 2-0 and would still have 5 players moving forward until the 60th/70th minute or whatever. Brighton are in the bottom half of the table and Arsenal didn't get a 2nd shot on target on Wednesday until the 88th minute!

 

I despise Klopp and think he's a whinging bastard on the level of Mourinho, but the gegenpress and end-to-end football was far better to watch than either the very latest version of Arteta's Arsenal (and they haven't been like this for his whole time in charge), or Slot football. Even aside from being an actual fan of the club, I really enjoyed Newcastle's press + counter style last season (less in show this season except in Europe). It's not about the spread of Pep gospel, I just genuinely think this Arsenal team are more reminiscent of defensive-minded 90s Italian football but with modern fitness regimes and set pieces drills than anything remotely resembling excitement. Fat Sam's teams were more entertaining!

I have spent the last 4 seasons hearing how basic and workmanlike Wrexham’s football is and 3 promotions and a play off challenge what my feeling is that you are better off trying to be the best at something different, than try to do the same as everyone else.

 

I feel in recent years there has been a move towards everyone in the EPL trying to basically be very similar with varying degrees of success. I think a bit of variety is generally good for the game. When I watch Arsenal they remind me of Wrexham in terms of the character, work ethic and defenders who will do anything to try and keep the other team scoring. I personally don’t hate watching them nor do I want another Man City title win.

 

Maybe if Arsenal can get over the line they will be more expansive next season, but I think they should do whatever it takes to get over the line.

[kaosmark2]

10 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I have spent the last 4 seasons hearing how basic and workmanlike Wrexham’s football is and 3 promotions and a play off challenge what my feeling is that you are better off trying to be the best at something different, than try to do the same as everyone else.

 

I feel in recent years there has been a move towards everyone in the EPL trying to basically be very similar with varying degrees of success. I think a bit of variety is generally good for the game. When I watch Arsenal they remind me of Wrexham in terms of the character, work ethic and defenders who will do anything to try and keep the other team scoring. I personally don’t hate watching them nor do I want another Man City title win.

 

Maybe if Arsenal can get over the line they will be more expansive next season, but I think they should do whatever it takes to get over the line.

I don't deny it's effective and producing results. I would also argue that everyone else in the league is closer to copying Arsenal than they are City. I also made the point that I preferred watching Mourinho's Chelsea or Fat Sam's Bolton/West Ham than this Arsenal. If you're enjoying watching them, fair enough, different people have different tastes, but I think I've articulated why and how I find their style directly offputting without making any sense of advocating for universal Pep-ball.

[pink_triangle]

I have always been against VAR and feel it has made the game significantly worse. It says it all that I am yet to meet a football league fan who wants it and it’s the biggest thing that puts fans off wanting to be part of the EPL.

 

My first experience of VAR watching Wrexham and it was every bit as bad (and worse) an experience than I expected. A cynical yellow card that people would think nothing of in the football league upgraded to a red. The worrying thing is hearing the pundits discuss it and accepting it as the right decision. People are now conditioned to accept this kind of thing as right. Then to add salt in the wound an experience of celebrating a goal for the VAR police to chalk it off for a marginal offside. 
 

The crapiness of VAR and seeing the likes of Cucarella and Garnacho rolling all over the place really showed me how blessed I am to watch championship football, I honestly feel there is no better league for the fan.

[thetime]

57 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I don't deny it's effective and producing results. I would also argue that everyone else in the league is closer to copying Arsenal than they are City. I also made the point that I preferred watching Mourinho's Chelsea or Fat Sam's Bolton/West Ham than this Arsenal. If you're enjoying watching them, fair enough, different people have different tastes, but I think I've articulated why and how I find their style directly offputting without making any sense of advocating for universal Pep-ball.

 

I actually like watching premier league football more this season. I like how its more old school, blood and thunder. Corners are a bit far, its just like wrestling in there. 

 

Give me this season, over the boring pep style football of the previous 5. 

[kaosmark2]

5 minutes ago, thetime said:

I actually like watching premier league football more this season. I like how its more old school, blood and thunder. Corners are a bit far, its just like wrestling in there. 

 

Give me this season, over the boring pep style football of the previous 5. 

I thought last season was a good in between, better than the previous years without the corner nonsense of this one. My favourite team to watch this season are Villa, they're not concerned with possession/xG, happy to let other teams have the ball, but will work to get it back if a team approaches their box. They attack with pace and purpose not possession or intent to win corners, and shoot from outside the box over moving it sideways. Very distinct and highly entertaining.

[pink_triangle]

17 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

I actually like watching premier league football more this season. I like how its more old school, blood and thunder. Corners are a bit far, its just like wrestling in there. 

 

Give me this season, over the boring pep style football of the previous 5. 

I also like watching defenders defend and goalkeepers make saves. I enjoy watching the likes of Gabriel and Saliba defending. In recent years it has felt in the EPL that the most important things we look for in keepers and defenders is how comfortable they are with the ball at their feet. I personally think a move away from that thinking is good.

[kaosmark2]

12 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I also like watching defenders defend and goalkeepers make saves. I enjoy watching the likes of Gabriel and Saliba defending. In recent years it has felt in the EPL that the most important things we look for in keepers and defenders is how comfortable they are with the ball at their feet. I personally think a move away from that thinking is good.

I watch Dan Burn twice a week and I love it.

[pink_triangle]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I watch Dan Burn twice a week and I love it.

I agree, we don’t want to lose that from the game.

[charlierc]

13 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I watch Dan Burn twice a week and I love it.

I love it more when we win ofc. Unlike last night, apparently.

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I actually like watching premier league football more this season. I like how its more old school, blood and thunder. Corners are a bit far, its just like wrestling in there. 

 

Give me this season, over the boring pep style football of the previous 5. 

I think it's good to have a mix of things, where some teams play possession based, some teams play a more pressing based approach, some prefer an old school kick-and-rush passion version of the game and some teams are wildcards capable of taking a little bit of each. I do think we have that this year tbf, although I also ponder if the possession based style is out of sync at present. 

 

It could just be an us thing because Newcastle very much play at their weakest when trying to control the ball more but I feel like I've seen with others that teams playing pass-pass-pass that also play other styles of football are at the weakest focusing on possession.

[steviewevie]

WW3 spread to Glasgow.

[kaosmark2]

5 hours ago, charlierc said:

I love it more when we win ofc. Unlike last night, apparently.

I'm just so bored of playing City. It's not so much that I mind losing to them massively, but that's the 5th game in 4 months, and they seem to knock us out of the FA Cup between the 4th round and quarters every year.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

I'm just so bored of playing City. It's not so much that I mind losing to them massively, but that's the 5th game in 4 months, and they seem to knock us out of the FA Cup between the 4th round and quarters every year.

Well at least we don't have to play them again until next season, unless we somehow wind up with us playing them in the Champions League final.

 

I mean, we won't, but you know. It would be bloody typical.

 

Also, I gather we tried Woltemade as a CM again. Because this time is the time it might work or something.

[SPW]

On 07/03/2026 at 23:45, thetime said:

 

I actually like watching premier league football more this season. I like how its more old school, blood and thunder. Corners are a bit far, its just like wrestling in there. 

 

Give me this season, over the boring pep style football of the previous 5. 

I kind of get this, but also from what I've seen of them find Arsenal a very cautious / negative watch. They are scarred from the previous 3 seasons, understandably, and doing whatever to get over the line is the priority but if they fail it will be purely down to them this time.  I can't talk about quality of the football, following Man Utd, but at our game at Arsenal we had the swagger whereas on and off the pitch their nerves were all too plain to see. In the same way Southgate wouldn't take a gamble when it counted, Arteta risks doing the same.

 

As for the corners, totally agree - I am all for reverting to some old school football but that is getting out of hand. 

[kaosmark2]

12 hours ago, SPW said:

I kind of get this, but also from what I've seen of them find Arsenal a very cautious / negative watch. They are scarred from the previous 3 seasons, understandably, and doing whatever to get over the line is the priority but if they fail it will be purely down to them this time.  I can't talk about quality of the football, following Man Utd, but at our game at Arsenal we had the swagger whereas on and off the pitch their nerves were all too plain to see. In the same way Southgate wouldn't take a gamble when it counted, Arteta risks doing the same.

 

As for the corners, totally agree - I am all for reverting to some old school football but that is getting out of hand. 

Yeah absolutely this. They play with the handbrake on and don't have the swagger in their creative players. Rice/Zubimendi both have a lot more forward movement and passes than they've shown this season!

 

I think we need a weekend or two (probably the first of next season) where the refs just give out 12 penalties, 20 free kicks, and 30-something yellows to just assert this again. You have two consecutive weekends where it shows the rules around the shirt-pulling are being enforced and people will stop it. Same as how bookings for dissent being actually used have stopped the nonsense surrounding of refs. That said, I don't think PL refs have the confidence, knowledge, or willpower to actually do something like this, individually or collectively.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

Yeah absolutely this. They play with the handbrake on and don't have the swagger in their creative players. Rice/Zubimendi both have a lot more forward movement and passes than they've shown this season!

 

I think we need a weekend or two (probably the first of next season) where the refs just give out 12 penalties, 20 free kicks, and 30-something yellows to just assert this again. You have two consecutive weekends where it shows the rules around the shirt-pulling are being enforced and people will stop it. Same as how bookings for dissent being actually used have stopped the nonsense surrounding of refs. That said, I don't think PL refs have the confidence, knowledge, or willpower to actually do something like this, individually or collectively.

 

When did it change? It wasn't long ago you couldn't touch a goalkeeper and get whistled for it.

 

I have not watched Arsenal in the champions league this season, is it the same in Europe? 

[thetime]

Some juicy ties for a neutral this week.

 

Undecided what to watch.

 

Tuesday

Atletico v Spurs or Newcastle v Barcelona.

 

Wednesday 

PSG v Chelsea or Real Madrid v City

 

 

 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

When did it change? It wasn't long ago you couldn't touch a goalkeeper and get whistled for it.

 

I have not watched Arsenal in the champions league this season, is it the same in Europe? 

I'd say mid/late last season. I think Arteta spotted a few that hadn't been given and got his attackers to push the limits of it, and about 2 months into this season every other team was copying them.

 

59 minutes ago, thetime said:

Some juicy ties for a neutral this week.

 

Undecided what to watch.

 

Tuesday

Atletico v Spurs or Newcastle v Barcelona.

 

Wednesday 

PSG v Chelsea or Real Madrid v City

I think we both know what I'm watching on Tuesday, although I think Atletico Spurs would be my 2nd choice across the whole week. I'm gonna be going for PSGvChelsea on Weds though, mainly because Real v City has been a regular fixture in recent years.