Premier League 25/26 Thread

[weasel]

That Danso slip feels pretty costly for Spuds.

That Chelsea Utd game was dung. How Chelsea can have spent a billion and still have no cutting edge daffles me. Too many light weight wide attackers, wingers or show ponies called "Garnacho" who flatter to deceive on a good or are utterly anonymous on a bad day.

Welcome back Coventry. Nice to see a new face in the PL, albeit one who was up 25years ago.

 

[weasel]

Arsenal…..it's happening again!

 

[Cazza]

Looks like it, although still a lot of points to play for.

 

[edd_jedi]

Looks like it's between Spurs and West Ham for the drop too, following Forest and Leeds turnarounds. I was sincerely hoping both could stay up!

 

[Cazza]

Think you're probably right, Edd, although don't think Forest are entirely safe...

 

[weasel]

Forest's last five fixtures aren't great, Sunderland (A), Chelsea (A), Newcastle (H), Utd (A), Bournemouth (H). There are a few sides in there in patchy form, but four of the five are much better teams than Forest.

WH have, Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle (A), and Leeds (H). That final game looks massive. Albeit, I could see WH grinding out something from all but Arsenal, even then they beat them last year.

Spurs have, Wolves (A), Villa (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), and Everton (H). Far from impossible, but given their rock bottom morale and form, that Wolves game looks huge, lose that…..and you have to be proper ******* ***** to lose to wolves (hello Liverpool)…. And I fear for Spurs.

I'd guess, 4pts for Forest. 5-6 for WH, and if they beat Wolves 6 for Spurs. If Spurs lose to WH, make that 2pts tops.

Gonna be close.

Edit, Gibbs White out for the season and Forest have Europe to distract them. Hhmmm

 

[weasel]

Rosenior gone. Chelsea were a shambles last night but I'm not sure he is to blame for that

 

[Cazza]

Chelsea are everything that's wrong with the game. I honestly don't know how they continually get away with their financial shenanigans. Absolute shambles of a club.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes I watched the Chelsea vs Brighton game, their performance was worse than anything I've seen from Spurs all season.

 

[lejackal]

This is a good piece about the state of Chelsea:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...r-leaves-chelsea-blueco-ownership-todd-boehly

 

[edd_jedi]

Finally a PL win, it's been quite surreal going four months without one, never witnessed it before in my lifetime! But Solanke and Xavi both injured, surely we've got to catch a break soon? I must admit I was gutted when I saw West Ham scored a later winner @Cazza, you were no doubt elated!

with four games left it looks like it's going to be close, @lejackal you were almost right I might have to hope between West Ham losing to you and us staying up, or you winning the title!

 

[lejackal]

Title wise I only hope we win it or lose it on points. To lose on GD or goals scored would be too harrowing a nightmare. Bottom end of the table I really don't know what to think. I've never known a season without a NLD, so don't think I'd want to go without one. I guess if you went down you would at least have a season of wins to look forward to and an instant bounce back?

 

[edd_jedi]

I would definitely not miss the NLDs, I don't watch them any more, I don't even enjoy the few we win it was going to one back in about 2015 that put me off, seeing that pure hatred in person put me off football TBH. I prefer going to more low-key games now. Passion yes, tribal hatred no thanks.

 

[Cazza]

It was a real rollercoaster! Went with my youngest. Was absolutely gutted for around 10 minutes, then pure elation. Solid result for Spurs- injuries not so good. It's going to be close!

 

[weasel]

Gonna be bloody close at the top and the bottom. I can see Arsenal and City both winning all their remaining games so GD or GS comes into it. That might bite Arsenal as they are grinding them out at the minute and play with the handbrake on too much. But then on paper they are a better squad than City, so…..

At the bottom, ehh I can't see either Spurs or WH winning all their games. I think it's between those two, I don't see BOTH of them winning enough to drag Forest into it. That also requires Forest probably having to lose all their games.

On the Arsenal game, HOW THE **** did Nick Pope stay on? Goykeres beats him to the ball and he drags him down. Thaiw (spelling) is between Goykeres and the goal but if it's him brings Geeky (******* bloody hard to spelling johnny foreigner names) down with Pope in the goal, it's a red all day.
And Pope can use his hands. Thaiw can't! So there's even less reason to not send Pope off. Not like any Semi Pro striker wouldnt have the sense to lift his shot so Thaiw either had to watch it go in, or concede a pen (if he made it into the box) and get sent off. Geeky is a tiny bit better than semi pro level.
Utterly baffling decision. Blatant as **** foul too!

And good to see Jordan Pickford is still allowed to jump into players legs or ankles with full force and go utterly unpunished. Not like the hateful t-rex handed **** has previous for that either. That should have been another red.

Ohh and anyone who missed the Rochdale vs York City National league climax. **** me, what an end to a season.
They were separated by a point 103/104. They were playing each other at Rochdale. York needed to not lose, Rochdale need to win (obv). Only one up. The other goes into a six team play off.
It's 0-0 going in to stoppage time when Rochdale score in the 95th minute. The entire season decided by pretty much the last kick of the 46th and final game. Cue the crowd going bonkers. Pitch invasion. Grown men crying etc. etc.
Ref eventually clears the pitch, only seconds left, York go up the other end and equalise. Final whistle goes. ******* bedlam
A few pretty unsavoury scenes of Rochdale fans provoking York players and dancing in front of their faces during the pitch invasion at 1-0. Also a video of one Rochdale fan wrestling a York player to the ground and assaulting him. Albeit said York player gets up and chins the **** knocking him spark out.

Unreal emotional rollercoaster, from a 95th winner to send you up to having to face up to a six team play off a few minutes later.

You can't help but think, had the Rochdale fans stayed off the ******* pitch, the York players wouldn't have had a few minutes to get their heads out of their back sides and probably wouldn't have had time to score that equaliser.

 

[lejackal]

I knew that York won, I'd not heard about the drama- must give it a watch

 

[Cazza]

That Rochdale-York game was mad! Did the equaliser definitely cross the line?

Don't think Forest are out of it. Some tough games coming up.

As for Pickford... how on Earth did he stay on the pitch? Reckless, potential career ending tackle. Did his usual trick of standing over the player having a massive go, then turned around an winked to his defenders.

Our pen let-off was a bizarre one as well. I get he couldn't see the ball and was looking left, but still. Both 'pens' wouldn't have changed the result, as both teams scored immediately afterwards. A sending off, on the other hand, could've changed things. Dug deep and got the result in the end, though.

 

[theforceuk]

If Arsenal and City are equal on goal difference and goals scored/conceded hopefully it goes to corners taken, Arsenal win then.

 

[weasel]

I knew that York won, I'd not heard about the drama- must give it a watch

Loads of video clips on Twitter.

That Rochdale-York game was mad! Did the equaliser definitely cross the line?

Don't think Forest are out of it. Some tough games coming up.

As for Pickford... how on Earth did he stay on the pitch? Reckless, potential career ending tackle. Did his usual trick of standing over the player having a massive go, then turned around an winked to his defenders.

Our pen let-off was a bizarre one as well. I get he couldn't see the ball and was looking left, but still. Both 'pens' wouldn't have changed the result, as both teams scored immediately afterwards. A sending off, on the other hand, could've changed things. Dug deep and got the result in the end, though.

It does look like from one angle I have seen, no VAR unsurprisingly.

You may have guessed my opinion on Pickford by my previous post. He has form for stuff like that and keeps getting away with it. What is VAR for if not to look at stuff like that? If it was an outfielder it would have been looked at, but cos it's a keeper and he is trying to save a shot….it's fine.
Similar to Harry Kane it does seem senior England players, or captains, get treated differently. Just ask Alan Shearer about the time he "slipped" span round, jumped up and kicked Neil Lennon on the head.

For what it's worth, I agree the WH handball shouldnt have been a pen. It's totally accidental and he knows FA about it. It does hit his hand so I can see why Everton were upset. Does it change the flight of the ball? Do we really want to see every 'ball to hand' being given?

 

[lejackal]

In the Arsenal match I reckon if Pope and the Newcastle defender were the other way round on the pitch the defender gets a red card.

 

[edd_jedi]

Or if it was Romero, apparently two footed out of control sliding tackles are fine if you're a Wolves player

 

[weasel]

In the Arsenal match I reckon if Pope and the Newcastle defender were the other way round on the pitch the defender gets a red card.

100% red card all day long. So why was Pope only booked? He grabbed him, not like it was an accident.

 

[lejackal]

It's the unfathomable inconsistent application of the rules that really grates

 

[weasel]

And another keeper will be red carded for it in a few weeks and PGMOL will come out and explain why both decisions were correct

 

[edd_jedi]

Crazy game between PSG and Bayern. I can't believe Dembele's penalty was given, he clearly kicks the ball at his hand a la Mane's against Sissoko. Surely anyone deliberately kicking a ball at a hand to get a penalty should be penalised, not the other way round?! I can't believe VAR gave it.

 

[weasel]

Agreed, superb game and that was never a penalty. UEFA keep insisting they are going to give them but I don't think anyone outside of UEFA wants penalties given for stuff like that. The one last night even deflected onto his arm. What is he supposed to do? Run around with his arms behind his back for 90mins, or just cut his arms off?

I hope Arteta was watching that last night. THAT is what football should be, not GBH, eye gougingly dull, play for set pieces and bully it into the net!
What really bugs me is Arsenal have a squad that could play something approximating the football we saw last night. ok, Goykeres isn't quite Harry Kane or Dembele, but the rest of the team can play better football than the Stoke level ***** Arteta has them playing.
It's not like it's a case of "grinding out results to get through a bad patch" or "digging deep when it's not quite your day" it's been their style for 18 months now.

Compare last night's stunning advert for football, with the GBH **** housing 0-0 borefest Atleti and Arsenal will serve up tonight.

 

[lejackal]

Handbrake needs to come off if Arsenal are to achieve what they want

 

[weasel]

1000% right

It should never have been put on.

 

[lejackal]

Anyway, off topic even for this, I ended up pictured in The Times this week doing amateur egg chasing:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/1e...2?shareToken=83e811579f0c35ed1b464dcd3edadfb1

No. 16, they snapped my good side

 

[StarWarsFan]

Heard people moaning about Leeds this morning at tye car boot