2025/26 Season

[RichC]

Edwards and fsg expect returns on the huge investment made, no doubt. They're looking at winning the PL and CL, and not in a 'wouldn't it be nice' kind of way. The money was spent to consolidate our success and the club's valuation, and if he ****s it up he'll be gone in the summer imo.

If there's not an inkling of a challenge then yeah I tihnk you're right.

The Jota stuff will give some leeway to the players and manager but that won't last forever.

What I found bizarre this season is the pragmatic approach in how we played seems to have gone completely out of the window, we go 1 down it's panic stations throw on as many attacking players as possible in no particular formation which seems to get an equaliser but also leaves us all over the place in defending the opposition from grabbing another.

Time for some harsh decisions with favourites that need dropping and having to earn their place back.

[Kenneth]

Will never happen until it's too late. Slots shown they're his two favourites and he will play them over everyone else. Its going to be to his own detriment in the end.

Ekitike - Isak
-----Wirtz-----

It's such an obvious formation change to get the best out of those 3 and Slot just wont do it. Instead like a typical stubborn know-it-all Dutch prick, he'll stick with what he thinks is best.

From what I hear of Hughes' ruthlessness, Slot wont get much more of a leash if we keep producing **** like this. Which sounds absurd considering we won the league, but in reality we got out of jail over and over again in the second half of the season once teams worked us out. Its doesn't look like he has any clue on how to correct it either.

Edwards and fsg expect returns on the huge investment made, no doubt. They're looking at winning the PL and CL, and not in a 'wouldn't it be nice' kind of way. The money was spent to consolidate our success and the club's valuation, and if he ****s it up he'll be gone in the summer imo.

[Kenneth]

We shouldn't be dropping one for the other, they should both be starting imo. They're the players that will win us games, work backwards from there. Okay, I'll stop repeating myself now.

[Exiled_red]

Our form dropped after Isak came into the team. Id be building the front around Ekitike, with maybe Wirtz and Frimpong starting wide.

The midfield and Defence need to get closer together though.

The performances were poor before but the results were better, Isak has started the last 3 PL games and while he isn't the sole reason, it feels like dropping a reasonably in form Ekitike for another out of form player in Isak is at least part of the problem: there aren't enough players offering enough at the moment.

[Harv]

Play them both, stick Wirtz behind them. Forget Salah and Gakpo, get Frimpong and kerkes overlapping. You know, the blatantly obvious set up that someone at the club must have had in mind when they spent all that money.

Will never happen until it's too late. Slots shown they're his two favourites and he will play them over everyone else. Its going to be to his own detriment in the end.

Ekitike - Isak
-----Wirtz-----

It's such an obvious formation change to get the best out of those 3 and Slot just wont do it. Instead like a typical stubborn know-it-all Dutch prick, he'll stick with what he thinks is best.

From what I hear of Hughes' ruthlessness, Slot wont get much more of a leash if we keep producing **** like this. Which sounds absurd considering we won the league, but in reality we got out of jail over and over again in the second half of the season once teams worked us out. Its doesn't look like he has any clue on how to correct it either.

[Myo]

Nah Charley, the signs were there even before isak came in, a lot has to do with the form of salah and defensive issues (even before Leoni got injured), some were even saying wait till December, yeah sure if we were fighting for top 4, but if we did that, imo we are no longer fighting for the title, it's too late. Not being a pessimistic but the signs were there even before this loss streak. Salah needs dropping from starting... ( without making him out to be the main culprit, team cohesion most of the 90 minutes he is on has been quite low), slot please have some balls.

[Charly]

Our form dropped after Isak came into the team. Id be building the front around Ekitike, with maybe Wirtz and Frimpong starting wide.

The midfield and Defence need to get closer together though.

[peterbread]

Have them both play off Isak. Ekitike likes to drop deep and run with the ball and link up with little 1-2’s. Have them play as narrow 10’s. Even Isak can drop deep and link play so give them some freedom to interchange. Two move a bit wider to defend without the ball.

Then the fullbacks can give you the width and then you can still have 3 of Jones, MacAllister, Dom and Gravenberch in midfield.

On Jones he’s making an impact every time he comes on and deserves and start, much like Chiesa. Time for some different names to start in midweek.

[Exiled_red]

Play them both, stick Wirtz behind them. Forget Salah and Gakpo, get Frimpong and kerkes overlapping. You know, the blatantly obvious set up that someone at the club must have had in mind when they spent all that money.

Well this is what I thought we were wanting to evolve to, playing two up front, Wirtz behind, Gravenberch, MacAllister and Szobozlai in midfield with width coming from the full backs. Obviously Salah's role in the squad would be an issue but as great as he has been over the years he is really struggling at the moment.

[Kenneth]

Play them both, stick Wirtz behind them. Forget Salah and Gakpo, get Frimpong and kerkes overlapping. You know, the blatantly obvious set up that someone at the club must have had in mind when they spent all that money.

[Exiled_red]

I think Ektike could be the sort of guy to get pissed off very easy. Your right and he should be starting.

Yeah it's difficult to see his role as being anything other than Isak's backup the way it's going at the moment, but he has been by far the better of the two so far, even if he were getting minutes with Isak that would be something be that playing from the left or whatever. Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if he did get pissed off and at the moment you'd have to feel he would have every right to be frustrated.

[red g]

I don't understand the decision to play Isak ahead of Ekitike, Ekitike hit the ground running and was in form in front of goal, Isak looks way off it but is getting alot more minutes. IMO the shirt should have been Ekitike's and Isak should have had to earn it

I think Ektike could be the sort of guy to get pissed off very easy. Your right and he should be starting.

[Exiled_red]

I don't understand the decision to play Isak ahead of Ekitike, Ekitike hit the ground running and was in form in front of goal, Isak looks way off it but is getting alot more minutes. IMO the shirt should have been Ekitike's and Isak should have had to earn it

[kingfunk]

I'm not sure why I still watch or care. There wasn't a decent tackle made all game. Lost and no yellows or reds. The game is done. Thr tactics from all managers is awful. Set pieces win the games. It's really boring. I didn't even celebrate the equaliser as I thought var would rule it out. You know what, I'm checking out to see if I miss it. This isn't the sport I have loved since i was 5. It's horrible.

Was football invented then?

[BobTheCharmer]

I'm not sure why I still watch or care. There wasn't a decent tackle made all game. Lost and no yellows or reds. The game is done. Thr tactics from all managers is awful. Set pieces win the games. It's really boring. I didn't even celebrate the equaliser as I thought var would rule it out. You know what, I'm checking out to see if I miss it. This isn't the sport I have loved since i was 5. It's horrible.