2025/26 Season

[vlahka]

it does seem that way sometimes, **** the grey area

Grey areas. Thats for losers

[Sus]

Footballs a funny thing. You can be calm and controlled in every situation in life but 11 guys v another 11 guys kicking a little ball and you can go through every emotion in 90 minutes and blame the one guy on the pitch not kicking the ball. It’s a weird thing but you’ve got to love it and think of some of those games like the Istanbul final, the FA cup against West Ham, the Barcelona comeback and so many more and the emotions you go through. And then you come here and talk absolute crap, well I do anyway

agree so much with this. I've tried over many years to distance myself a little bit from the ups and downs, but I can't do it.

I'm either all in or all the way out, and I'd rather be in every day of the week to catch those highs

[rudedog]

As mentioned (3 times now class) I did say not on here, it’s a relative oasis of calm and tranquility vs. the rest of the www.

I think some posters have you on the new ‘selective ignore’ feature which hides anything that doesn’t fit their narrative

[Fierce]

"full on meltdown"

Apparently being concerned about not having one good 90 mins & a complete lack of identity in 10 games is full on meltdown

You guys are so cute!

[Kenneth]

I think some posters have you on the new ‘selective ignore’ feature which hides anything that doesn’t fit their narrative

I have a time saving 'random ignore' feature where I skim read the first sentence or so, jump to conclusions about what the rest says and then respond.

[Paul12]

Can't believe the negativity on here. Yes we are not playing well as a team and some individuals are under-performing and there are some quite serious issues with the way the team is currently set-up, but there have been only 7 league matches played, we are second in the league and five of our seven games have been against teams in the top eight. It is simply too early to write the season off. Yes, it MIGHT go pear-shaped...but that is true of any season at this stage. It could also be another good season.

[Buzzo]

I have a time saving 'random ignore' feature where I skim read the first sentence or so, jump to conclusions about what the rest says and then respond.

[Buzzo]

You guys are so cute!

[Kenneth]

As a number of people have said, I'd go with a 4-4-2 midfield diamond formation against most sides. Okay, they didn't say that I would go with that, rather that they would, and I agree with them. Not agree that they would, but that it's a good idea.

------------------Ali/mam

Frim/brad Gomez VVD Kerkes

-----------------------Grav
Dom----------------------------------???
-----------------------Wirtz

---------Ekitike----------------Isak

Edit: that formatting was a pain in the arse, I wish I hadn't bothered.

[The_weatherman]

I'm going to be tranquil about things, it's rare for teams to win back to back titles, no matter what anyone says, we are in a huge transition. Outgoings were Diaz, Trent, Quansah, Darwin, Tsimikas, Elliott and Jota died, this is a really huge upheaval for the squad. Players are losing relationships and friendships and mourning a friend.

Incomings are Isak, Hugo, Wirtz, Kerkez and Frimpong, Kerkez and Wirtz are 22 so they are really young still, but at the same time we are bedding them in, we're changing playstyles.

I'm looking at it like we're now beginning another team cycle, winning last season should have relieved some pressure off Slot, not add to it. It's not the end of the world if we don't win it back to back, long term, we'll be fine.

[Cerbie]

As a number of people have said, I'd go with a 4-4-2 midfield diamond formation against most sides. Okay, they didn't say that I would go with that, rather that they would, and I agree with them. Not agree that they would, but that it's a good idea.

------------------Ali/mam

Frim/brad Gomez VVD Kerkes

-----------------------Grav
Dom----------------------------------???
-----------------------Wirtz

---------Ekitike----------------Isak

Edit: that formatting was a pain in the arse, I wish I hadn't bothered.

I can't see the downside to trying the 442 with Wirtz at the top of the diamond. Mac is first choice for the left side when fit, but Jones could fit in there too. For low block teams, we could have Ekitike at the top of the diamond and Wirtz on the left as an alternative.

[labourRed]

We're not going to go for a 442 diamond or anything radical like that. The whole club set up is revolved around 433 from bottom up.

[Cerbie]

We're not going to go for a 442 diamond or anything radical like that. The whole club set up is revolved around 433 from bottom up.

That's an Amorim level of inflexibility, surely?

The current strategies aren't working as well as they did last season, so we need to adapt. The diamond is an option we could consider with the squad we have. I'm not saying we can't revert to 433 once the squad are sufficiently fit and drilled to be effective in that setup.

And yes, I know we are a point off the top, and the sky isn't falling in.

[Exiled_red]

I think Slot wants flexibility in the team, e.g. moving Gravenberch to CB, Szoboszlai to RB, while we might start with 4-3-3 or similar I wouldn't be surprised to see us shift formations during matches to a 4-4-2 diamond or even playing with wing backs with Gravenberch dropping into a back three at times

[Charly]

I think Slot wants flexibility in the team, e.g. moving Gravenberch to CB, Szoboszlai to RB, while we might start with 4-3-3 or similar I wouldn't be surprised to see us shift formations during matches to a 4-4-2 diamond or even playing with wing backs with Gravenberch dropping into a back three at times

Thats not flexibility. That feels more like panic.

Our two best midfileders moved into defence while our midfield is being overrun.

All while we have a backup rb and centreback on the bench,leaving us with jones macca and wirtz in midfield, which is about as lightweight as it gets.

Its makes our summer transfer activity loom a bit ridiculous that we dont have a trusted backup at right back, Dm or centre back.

Slot needs a bit more faith in Gomez and Endo, or why didnt we replace them in the summer? Frimpong just looks odd at this point. Was he signed as a RB?