Whale.io 🐳 | ⚽ English Premier League Season: 2025/2026

[igebotz]

Don't let your hate for the club cloud your stand, I know you'll rather have ETH stay at the club and crumble it than a change that'll get them balling again.

Not hating but same was said about Ole " change him and the club will start balling again" here we're again. Changing the manager alone won't solve the internal crisis.

You'll rather have your club  (Chelsea) sack managers than fixing other things that's needed at the club, how many managers has Chelsea hired before it looks like now, they got something working. Manchester United can go done the same path and get the team up and running before other renovations can come in.

We changed the entire medical team, changed the recruitment team, changed food menu, upgraded our training facilities, there was more going on than just sacking and replacing managers.

[JollyGood]

These are the games taking place on Saturday 5th October:

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Southampton
Brentford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leicester City vs Bournemouth
Manchester City vs Fulham
West Ham United vs Ipswich Town
Everton vs Newcastle United

Liverpool already clear at the top of the table by a point could increase the gap to four points in the midday kick-off game before any of their rivals that kick-off at 3pm. Even though could happen, I expect Liverpool to drop points away at Crystal Palace but Arsenal and Manchester City should get maximum points.

[tokeweed]

His ex-assistant Benni McCarthy left the club this summer but gave an interview criticising Ten Hag for the way he handled Ronaldo and because he lacks passion. He gave various insights within the interview but it was not groundbreaking news. I do not see how Ten Hag will remain manager for long because reports suggest the players have accepted his days are numbered and are expected to endorse Ruud van Nistelrooy to replace him.

Tbh I think they should get somebody who could give the club more stability before handing it over to a more high profile manager.  And I'm not kidding when I say that they should give the genius Moyes a call and try to give him a second stint in the club for a couple of years...  For stability.  I think his decent stints at Everton and West Ham should be a matter of consideration here.

And I've said this before, bacon face..  I mean Sir Alex Ferguson chose the genius Moyes to replace him for a good reason.  And now we're seeing why.

[JollyGood]

Ruud van Nistelrooy is a ready-made replacement because he is already part of the Manchester United set-up and can cover the position at least until the end of the season. Not only that, he holds legendary status at the club because of the 150 goals he scored in 219 games and is widely respected at the club.

I do not think they have to return to Moyes after Ten Hag is sacked, they have to look to the future and find a way to get back to being serious title contenders.

Tbh I think they should get somebody who could give the club more stability before handing it over to a more high profile manager.  And I'm not kidding when I say that they should give the genius Moyes a call and try to give him a second stint in the club for a couple of years...  For stability.  I think his decent stints at Everton and West Ham should be a matter of consideration here.

And I've said this before, bacon face..  I mean Sir Alex Ferguson chose the genius Moyes to replace him for a good reason.  And now we're seeing why.

[igebotz]

I do not think they have to return to Moyes after Ten Hag is sacked, they have to look to the future and find a way to get back to being serious title contenders.

Lol..why would anyone even suggest going back to Moyes in the first place, was he not the same guy who inherited a winning squad and ruined the whole structure, he's old fashioned and can't compete with his usual deep counter-attacking football style. Doesn't look like ETH would last past December, the club would be forced to compensate him and get someone to build back the dismantled dressing room. The earlier the better.

Unai Emery is the man they need, but why would anyone leave a CL team where he has complete authority over transfers for one where he only needs to write a list and has no power over transfers? Aside from that, buying him out of contract will be quite expensive.

[JollyGood]

Doesn't look like ETH would last past December, the club would be forced to compensate him and get someone to build back the dismantled dressing room. The earlier the better.

I watched most of their game away at Porto that finished a little while ago. They are playing like Jekyll and Hyde, for some periods in their games they are pressing and are seemingly in control but in other parts they look like a complete shambles. If they do sack him before December it will give the new manager a chance to make a push for a top six finish if they can start a winning run.

Unai Emery is the man they need, but why would anyone leave a CL team where he has complete authority over transfers for one where he only needs to write a list and has no power over transfers? Aside from that, buying him out of contract will be quite expensive.

He has been brilliant at Aston Villa, if he were to leave before he helped them to achieve their potential I think it would be a big mistake. Emery and Aston Villa are a perfect fit and if they finish in the top four this season it will mean consecutive Champions League football. That should set them up for a serious title challenge the following season because on their top form at Villa Park there is no reason they cannot beat both Arsenal and Manchester City.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Liverpool already clear at the top of the table by a point could increase the gap to four points in the midday kick-off game before any of their rivals that kick-off at 3pm. Even though could happen, I expect Liverpool to drop points away at Crystal Palace but Arsenal and Manchester City should get maximum points.

Didn't expect them to be in the title contention but kudos to what Arne Slot has done, I don't think Liverpool is going to loss against Palace. If Liverpool doesn't find a way to get the ball at the back of the net then the game will end in draws. Right there is an opportunity to lead the league and you think they'll want to throw that away? As for the rest of the game, I'm most interested in them as I only see a few straight forward wins (Arsenal, City too) but the rest is unpredictable to me. Sunday features is where my minds are though because I want to see how Many U is going to play against a pump Aston villa that just killed it in the champions league.

[igebotz]

He has been brilliant at Aston Villa, if he were to leave before he helped them to achieve their potential I think it would be a big mistake. Emery and Aston Villa are a perfect fit and if they finish in the top four this season it will mean consecutive Champions League football. That should set them up for a serious title challenge the following season because on their top form at Villa Park there is no reason they cannot beat both Arsenal and Manchester City.

Making the Top 4 is a lot easier than competing for the league - you only need 1-2 top teams to slip to make the cut, but competiting for the title you need to be better than 18-19 other teams. You remember Newcastle making the CL and got dumped out of Europe the next season right? They had a super team, had a really good run of games, took advantage of Chelsea and Manutd shitty form but they got burnt out due to poor squad depth following their injury crisis. I see Aston Villa running down the same route sooner or later.

[JollyGood]

Where they end up playing the league games alongside the FA Cup and Champions League, you could be right about Aston Villa eventually burning out but they have a better manager (Emery vs Howe) and they have a much better team and squad. If he is given the go-ahead to buy a couple of players that he feels could strengthen his squad, I am sure Emery and Aston Villa will enjoy a run of successful finishes to the season but without adding players I think you have captured their fate.

Making the Top 4 is a lot easier than competing for the league - you only need 1-2 top teams to slip to make the cut, but competiting for the title you need to be better than 18-19 other teams. You remember Newcastle making the CL and got dumped out of Europe the next season right? They had a super team, had a really good run of games, took advantage of Chelsea and Manutd shitty form but they got burnt out due to poor squad depth following their injury crisis. I see Aston Villa running down the same route sooner or later.

[tokeweed]

Ruud van Nistelrooy is a ready-made replacement because he is already part of the Manchester United set-up and can cover the position at least until the end of the season. Not only that, he holds legendary status at the club because of the 150 goals he scored in 219 games and is widely respected at the club.

I do not think they have to return to Moyes after Ten Hag is sacked, they have to look to the future and find a way to get back to being serious title contenders.

Tbh I think they should get somebody who could give the club more stability before handing it over to a more high profile manager.  And I'm not kidding when I say that they should give the genius Moyes a call and try to give him a second stint in the club for a couple of years...  For stability.  I think his decent stints at Everton and West Ham should be a matter of consideration here.

And I've said this before, bacon face..  I mean Sir Alex Ferguson chose the genius Moyes to replace him for a good reason.  And now we're seeing why.

Yeah..  That's kind the of thing that the club should avoid imho.  Him having legendary status at the club. They've already tried it with Solksjaer and it royally flopped as with that, everybody expects the club to be lead back to the glory days...

Solksjaer at United, Lampard at Chelsea, there was also Kenny Dalglish with Liverpool back in the day.  I mean sure the next Arteta or Zidane is around the corner, but dunno man...  I think getting stability with a low profile manager to rebuild the club is the way to go.  We'll see tho.  I really hope for their supporters they get some kind of success after Ten Hag.

[JollyGood]

If legendary ex-players are to be avoided, what are big clubs supposed to do when they are in trouble? I cannot think of any low profile manager that will be suitable for Manchester United except the current Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

He was also their under-18 Manchester United manager before he took on the Ipswich Town job therefore it might work but he is just 38 years old and the club is massive. His work at Ipswich Town with back to back promotions leading to the Premier League is commendable even if Ipswich Town are currently struggling as they adjust to life in the Premier League.

Yeah..  That's kind the of thing that the club should avoid imho.  Him having legendary status at the club. They've already tried it with Solksjaer and it royally flopped as with that, everybody expects the club to be lead back to the glory days...

Solksjaer at United, Lampard at Chelsea, there was also Kenny Dalglish with Liverpool back in the day.  I mean sure the next Arteta or Zidane is around the corner, but dunno man...  I think getting stability with a low profile manager to rebuild the club is the way to go.  We'll see tho.  I really hope for their supporters they get some kind of success after Ten Hag.

[igebotz]

If legendary ex-players are to be avoided, what are big clubs supposed to do when they are in trouble? I cannot think of any low profile manager that will be suitable for Manchester United except the current Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

He was also their under-18 Manchester United manager before he took on the Ipswich Town job therefore it might work but he is just 38 years old and the club is massive. His work at Ipswich Town with back to back promotions leading to the Premier League is commendable even if Ipswich Town are currently struggling as they adjust to life in the Premier League.

Football has gone beyond bringing in a former legendary player as that hasn't worked out well with most clubs in Europe, but I share similar sentiment with tokeweed, they gotta bring in a low-profile manager who understands modern football to build the club from the basics, I know they tried to do the same with ETH but dude wasn't ready to build instead he wanted to bring all the players he has worked with at Ajax to Manutd thinking he would him replicate the same success.

Look at what Fabian Hürzeler is doing at Brighton, now imagine what he would do at a top club with unlimited budget. A low profile manager with no name but he's already making one for himself..

[JollyGood]

Football has gone beyond bringing in a former legendary player as that hasn't worked out well with most clubs in Europe, but I share similar sentiment with tokeweed, they gotta bring in a low-profile manager who understands modern football to build the club from the basics, I know they tried to do the same with ETH but dude wasn't ready to build instead he wanted to bring all the players he has worked with at Ajax to Manutd thinking he would him replicate the same success.

The mistake he made and the club hierarchy allowed him to make was that they knew the Dutch league is totally different to the Premier League and not all of those players would be able to make it a successful transition. He spent phenomenal amounts of money on the players he wanted therefore they are no excuses for his failures on the pitch now. He is the one that must take ownership of his mistakes.

Look at what Fabian Hürzeler is doing at Brighton, now imagine what he would do at a top club with unlimited budget. A low profile manager with no name but he's already making one for himself..

There are several examples that can be added to Fabian Hürzeler but at this stage of the season it is far too early to give him too much credit when he has taken 9 points from a possible 18 at Brighton even though their W2 D3 L1 is an impressive start for a small club. He is just 31 years old and the youngest ever Premier League manager, we do not know how he will react to failure and heavy pressure.

Having said that, I hope the smaller clubs perform well this season and upset the balance that is always in favour of the bigger clubs.

[Tmoonz]

Am so much interested in Leicester City and Bournemouth game today, is round 7 of the English league Leicester City have consecutively played a both team score in their past six games since the beginning of the season, their meeting with Bournemouth i must say is an obvious both to score and may likely end in a draw game, surely it is going to be an interesting and hot match between Leicester City and Bournemouth, Leicester returning to king power stadium will definitely boost their agility as their home ground even though Bournemouth are not also doing badly but however the end shall speak best for itself, I have a strong feeling that the game will end in draw, what do you think of the match?

[JollyGood]

These are the games taking place today Saturday 5th October:

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Southampton
Brentford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leicester City vs Bournemouth
Manchester City vs Fulham
West Ham United vs Ipswich Town
Everton vs Newcastle United

If Liverpool drop points at Crystal Palace it will give Arsenal and Manchester City the opportunity to get maximum points in their respective games make the group tight at the top of the table.

I have a strong feeling that the game will end in draw, what do you think of the match?

If I had to choose, based on current forum I think Bournemouth should win the game.

[igebotz]

The mistake he made and the club hierarchy allowed him to make was that they knew the Dutch league is totally different to the Premier League and not all of those players would be able to make it a successful transition. He spent phenomenal amounts of money on the players he wanted therefore they are no excuses for his failures on the pitch now. He is the one that must take ownership of his mistakes.

You've got to feel bad for him, because none of the 18 players he brought (purchase + loan) has had any impact on the squad yet, except maybe Martinez. He's got a critical weekend ahead of him, and things might get tough for him if he loses to Aston Villa--a must-win game for him to give himself more time.

There are several examples that can be added to Fabian Hürzeler but at this stage of the season it is far too early to give him too much credit when he has taken 9 points from a possible 18 at Brighton even though their W2 D3 L1 is an impressive start for a small club. He is just 31 years old and the youngest ever Premier League manager, we do not know how he will react to failure and heavy pressure.

I'm more interested in how quickly he adapts to Brighton's customary possession from the back, which they did admirably against Chelsea; the only issue was the high defense line that they used against a very threatening Chelsea attack.

Looking forward to Crystal Palace and  Everton masterclass today.

[JollyGood]

You've got to feel bad for him, because none of the 18 players he brought (purchase + loan) has had any impact on the squad yet, except maybe Martinez. He's got a critical weekend ahead of him, and things might get tough for him if he loses to Aston Villa--a must-win game for him to give himself more time.

Martinez is a brilliant player but he lacks pace therefore uses his positioning and tactical awareness to make up for it. As for the other purchases, did Ten Hag actually have any success with any of them?

Looking forward to Crystal Palace and  Everton masterclass today.

In the midday kick-off Crystal Palace are already 0-1 down against Liverpool and the first half is not over yet.

[tokeweed]

Football has gone beyond bringing in a former legendary player as that hasn't worked out well with most clubs in Europe, but I share similar sentiment with tokeweed, they gotta bring in a low-profile manager who understands modern football to build the club from the basics, I know they tried to do the same with ETH but dude wasn't ready to build instead he wanted to bring all the players he has worked with at Ajax to Manutd thinking he would him replicate the same success.

Look at what Fabian Hürzeler is doing at Brighton, now imagine what he would do at a top club with unlimited budget. A low profile manager with no name but he's already making one for himself..

But for stability's sake bring in a decent low profile manager but never ever give him an unlimited budget.  Lol.  That's when they start making rash decisions as an unlimited budget would almost always make them acquire those over priced players who ar supposed to be at their prime but usually turn out to be flops.  It's better for a club under a rebuild to get a manager who likes to develop his own players and acquire them when they're young and cheap, making the club have a squad of younger players who are gonna gel together.  Areta did this gradually when he took over at Arsenal.

There's just no other way and it's that or it's at least a decade in limbo.  And what was the year Ferguson reitred..?

[Distraction]

His ex-assistant Benni McCarthy left the club this summer but gave an interview criticising Ten Hag for the way he handled Ronaldo and because he lacks passion. He gave various insights within the interview but it was not groundbreaking news. I do not see how Ten Hag will remain manager for long because reports suggest the players have accepted his days are numbered and are expected to endorse Ruud van Nistelrooy to replace him.

van Nistelrooy to manage Manchester United? It would really be interesting and exciting both.    He is a legend for this team undoubtedly. Currently he is working as assistant manager there also. He already has manager experience of one season with PSV too. He did a pretty good job in the 2022/2023 season in the Eredivisie.

Thanks for the info by the way. I didn't know there was such possibility.    I hope ten Hag says goodbye by getting a bad result against Aston Villa also. It would be more interesting to watch a Manchester United legend managing instead.


By the way new week matches have started. Liverpool lead 1-0 against Crystal Palace at halftime. It was a total domination so far. But Liverpool should keep this up. Otherwise Crystal Palace have really capable players to equalize it.

[boltz]

His ex-assistant Benni McCarthy left the club this summer but gave an interview criticising Ten Hag for the way he handled Ronaldo and because he lacks passion. He gave various insights within the interview but it was not groundbreaking news. I do not see how Ten Hag will remain manager for long because reports suggest the players have accepted his days are numbered and are expected to endorse Ruud van Nistelrooy to replace him.

van Nistelrooy to manage Manchester United? It would really be interesting and exciting both.    He is a legend for this team undoubtedly. Currently he is working as assistant manager there also. He already has manager experience of one season with PSV too. He did a pretty good job in the 2022/2023 season in the Eredivisie.

Thanks for the info by the way. I didn't know there was such possibility.    I hope ten Hag says goodbye by getting a bad result against Aston Villa also. It would be more interesting to watch a Manchester United legend managing instead.


By the way new week matches have started. Liverpool lead 1-0 against Crystal Palace at halftime. It was a total domination so far. But Liverpool should keep this up. Otherwise Crystal Palace have really capable players to equalize it.

No way. He will be the 3rd Dutch guy who wants to make United great again but I'm afraid it was just a rumor and I don't really have confidence in him to train such a big club like United. However , in the next couple of years , I could see him having a chance but until then it was made even clear that the board trusts Ten Hag and won't fire him anytime soon.

Yep , it seems that Liverpool is the same old team even if they have a different coach and that is in the club identity to play offensive football.