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

[Distraction]

It looks like Erik ten Hag's future is going to be decided today after a meeting organized by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/oct/07/erik-ten-hag-manchester-united-future

van Nistelrooy is on hold for a probable duty. Another speculation is that Xavi might take his place. I remember he was speculated with Manchester United once again before. It is really hard to predict which one can handle the job better. 

I think it is time for Erik ten Hag to say goodbye. There is no progress made by the team at all. You all see how they play. I watched them against Aston Villa too and it was so unbearable.

[JollyGood]

Man United's match may be the long-awaited match to determine how Ten Hag's fate is.

If the Manchester United hierarchy decided to sack Ten Hag after the home game against Brentford, it will not be based on just a single game it will be based on a series of incidents and results. He should never have been given a contract extension at the end of last season because the club were looking for a replacement and failed. On the basis of that they gave him an extension and that does not make sense.

It looks like Erik ten Hag's future is going to be decided today after a meeting organized by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The meeting ended today but no decision on Ten Hag being immediately sacked was made. Maybe he has a reprieve until the end of the year or maybe they are giving him time on a game by game basis, we do not know. What seems clear is that he has lost the dressing room and the players are waiting for Ruud van Nistelrooy to take over.

[igebotz]

Anyway, I think the case with Pep Guardiola is same as what you said, except at the part when the recruiting team makes the last decision.  I think Man City's recruiting team or whoever tries to get the players that Guardiola wants.  I mean they have the money and the club is still hungry to etch their place in football history.

And the oilers, Ferran Soriano and Txiki set everything up for Guardiola's arrival.

Some good matches this weekend, of coursse Liverpool vs Chelsea is one of them...  But I'm looking at NUFC vs Brighton, Fulham vs Aston Villa and for the lulz, Man United vs Brentford.  Thomas Frank might walk out of Old Trafford with a point here...

Final decision in financial context - They will most likely try to get whichever player/replacement Pep wants, but they will not go under the knife if the price is not financially feasible to the club. Pep manages the tactical aspects of the game, while the recruitment team manages the financial aspects. 

Lucas Paquetá was one of the player Pep wanted but couldn't get his hands on him.

Looking forward to Slot vs Enzo tactical battle this weekend, a tough test for both managers. A must win game for us surely.

[Distraction]

The meeting ended today but no decision on Ten Hag being immediately sacked was made. Maybe he has a reprieve until the end of the year or maybe they are giving him time on a game by game basis, we do not know. What seems clear is that he has lost the dressing room and the players are waiting for Ruud van Nistelrooy to take over.

Yeah, there is still no change in his situation. I really can't believe he is still staying like nothing happened.    This is his 3rd year with the team and still no improvement at all. I believe if there wasn't any owner change then probably he would have got sacked already. But the new owners wanted to give him another chance instead. Despite spending a ton of money nothing changes...


I have found this.



They made a squad with the players about whom they think they are in the TOTY so far. Onana has the most clean sheets maybe but Raya has made really amazing saves so far. I believe he is in better condition. People discuss Saka's being preferred instead of Salah. They have had similar performances statistically but I still find Saka's contribution a little ahead.

[JollyGood]

I think the writing is on the wall as far as Ten Hag is concerned. It is just a matter of time before he is replaced and at least until a replacement can be found they will put Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager. If he does a good job he will probably be offered the job but is that the way forward for a club of that size and stature?

For some reason the rumours about Tuchel just do not go away.

Yeah, there is still no change in his situation. I really can't believe he is still staying like nothing happened.    This is his 3rd year with the team and still no improvement at all. I believe if there wasn't any owner change then probably he would have got sacked already. But the new owners wanted to give him another chance instead. Despite spending a ton of money nothing changes...

[igebotz]

I think the writing is on the wall as far as Ten Hag is concerned. It is just a matter of time before he is replaced and at least until a replacement can be found they will put Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager. If he does a good job he will probably be offered the job but is that the way forward for a club of that size and stature?

For some reason the rumours about Tuchel just do not go away.

Man, he's not going anywhere. Are you not aware that the club recently paid a whopping £200,000 to build a wall around the club's training facilities to prevent other managers from stealing/watching Erik tactics? I am not a fan of changing managers like nappies. I still believe he should be given more time to rebuild the squad, just as Arteta was after three years of mediocrity.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Yeah, there is still no change in his situation. I really can't believe he is still staying like nothing happened.    This is his 3rd year with the team and still no improvement at all. I believe if there wasn't any owner change then probably he would have got sacked already. But the new owners wanted to give him another chance instead. Despite spending a ton of money nothing changes...

The board has backed him and there's nothing changing about that anytime soon, you shouldn't blame them though for backing him because they see something we don't and he has won them 2 trophies in his last two years.

That's something they can work with and besides Man U, doesn't have a habit of sacking manager especially when they're winning them something, Chelsea on the other hand doesn't care if you win them the world, you're gone when you stop delivering.

Not a hater of ETH but I don't just think he's the man for the job at United to bring back their glory days. If they want to improve, they have to let go of him and bring in someone different.

He doesn't have good player management abilities or aren't we seeing how he has been having issues with one player after the other?.

[MrEazyLife]

We’ve seen how manchester city has dominated the EPL for the past few years now. It’s no doubt that many will consider manchester city as the supposed winner for the 2024/2025 EPL title. But then take a look at the challenges that many other top clubs in the EPL have taken since the start of the season. It’s going to be an intensive season. No club wasn’t to drop point. Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston villa, Arsenal, Tottenham, are all on another level this season and are all challenging for that title. The race is till on and I don’t see Manchester City winning the league this season. We might see this seasons EPL winner with goals outcome.

I think the writing is on the wall as far as Ten Hag is concerned. It is just a matter of time before he is replaced and at least until a replacement can be found they will put Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager. If he does a good job he will probably be offered the job but is that the way forward for a club of that size and stature?

For some reason the rumours about Tuchel just do not go away.

Man, he's not going anywhere. Are you not aware that the club recently paid a whopping £200,000 to build a wall around the club's training facilities to prevent other managers from stealing/watching Erik tactics? I am not a fan of changing managers like nappies. I still believe he should be given more time to rebuild the squad, just as Arteta was after three years of mediocrity.

Sounds funny how one could think because Man U training ground is expose, other managers comes to steal his tactics. Man that’s a big joke. So you mean all the opponents Man U faces in all
Competition comes to steal their tactics to enable them
Win? Man there’s more to that. At this moment United doesn’t even have a play pattern. No style of
Play. No depth in the midfield and the attacking lacks the ability for clinical finishing when they’re in front of goals. Ten hag has till the end of November to turn things around. If not ineos will be force to relieve him of his duties as the club manager.

[JollyGood]

If you are right, it will not be the first time you have proven to be correct and simultaneously not be the first time I am wrong  

Maybe he will be given more time, maybe at the end of the season Manchester United will have a secured a Champions League spot and also have a trophy under too (the FA Cup, Carabao Cup or Europa League) and that could give Ten Hag more time to get things right.

When you make the comparison with Arteta, there is one very interesting point apart from him being given time by the board as well as the fans. He had severe problems with Aubameyang and took drastic action including dropping him when he was late for training and the omitting him from a squad because of disciplinary reasons. I thought that they would struggle without him as he was their main goalscorer but Arteta showed getting him out helped make the squad closer.

The other was Ozil, when he dropped Ozil then omitted him from the Europa League it seemed as though that was a mistake considering how much they were paying him but that too proved a correct decision for the squad.

Arteta was given time and now he has made Arsenal Premier League winning contenders but Ten Hag has not raised the bar, he seems was out of his depth.

Man, he's not going anywhere. Are you not aware that the club recently paid a whopping £200,000 to build a wall around the club's training facilities to prevent other managers from stealing/watching Erik tactics? I am not a fan of changing managers like nappies. I still believe he should be given more time to rebuild the squad, just as Arteta was after three years of mediocrity.

[tokeweed]

Final decision in financial context - They will most likely try to get whichever player/replacement Pep wants, but they will not go under the knife if the price is not financially feasible to the club. Pep manages the tactical aspects of the game, while the recruitment team manages the financial aspects. 

Lucas Paquetá was one of the player Pep wanted but couldn't get his hands on him.

Looking forward to Slot vs Enzo tactical battle this weekend, a tough test for both managers. A must win game for us surely.

Ah yeah, taken in those kinds of circumstances, true true...    But the point is I think Guardiola and the recruiters, director of football or whoever are more gelled in compared to most other clubs.  I mean we've seen some flops in Guardiola's squad but it isn't as much as we've seen at, say, Man United.

There was one player in City who was a total flop...  It was a goal keeper.  I think his name was Claudio Bravo, correct me if I'm wrong as that might be a UFC fighter.  Lol.  But yeah, there was a year when they recruited him and he turned out to be a flop.  It was impressive that the club reacted asap and replaced him after just a year.  Most other clubs would take their time to fix the problem.

[JollyGood]

Still another nine days to go before the next Premier League games, how do you think these games will play out?

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Fulham vs Aston Villa
Ipswich Town vs Everton
Manchester United vs Brentford
Newcastle United vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Southampton vs Leicester City
Bournemouth vs Arsenal

Manchester City play away at Wolves a day later and Liverpool also do not play their game against Chelsea until a day later therefore Arsenal have a chance to go top of the league.

[Distraction]

I think the writing is on the wall as far as Ten Hag is concerned. It is just a matter of time before he is replaced and at least until a replacement can be found they will put Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager. If he does a good job he will probably be offered the job but is that the way forward for a club of that size and stature?

For some reason the rumours about Tuchel just do not go away.

He continually says he isn't worried about getting sacked this season. They really haven't made a decision to sack him after the last meeting also. It comes to me as unbelievable but there is nothing to do. 

About van Nistelrooy, he doesn't have much experience yet I agree. But if they don't agree terms with a more experienced and successful manager then there is no other choice. When it comes to Tuchel, I like him. He is a really good tactician.

The board has backed him and there's nothing changing about that anytime soon, you shouldn't blame them though for backing him because they see something we don't and he has won them 2 trophies in his last two years.

That's something they can work with and besides Man U, doesn't have a habit of sacking manager especially when they're winning them something, Chelsea on the other hand doesn't care if you win them the world, you're gone when you stop delivering.

Not a hater of ETH but I don't just think he's the man for the job at United to bring back their glory days. If they want to improve, they have to let go of him and bring in someone different.

He doesn't have good player management abilities or aren't we seeing how he has been having issues with one player after the other?.

Yeah, he won trophies but I don't find that good enough anyway.    Because we are talking about the team that holds the most title record in the Premier League. A team with a great history...

Considering all this, I also don't find him good enough for this team. It is nothing personal for me too. But he just doesn't show anything good.

[JollyGood]

At the end of last season he claimed that if he were to be sacked he would go somewhere else and win trophies. Ten Hag is out of his depth, we can all see it. Whether he will get it right and make Manchester United a powerful force in football again if he gets enough time is a question that will not go away.

Tuchel told the club hierarchy he was not interested in the job as soon as he was told he would have no say in the players that were brought and sold. You cannot blame him.

He continually says he isn't worried about getting sacked this season. They really haven't made a decision to sack him after the last meeting also. It comes to me as unbelievable but there is nothing to do. 

About van Nistelrooy, he doesn't have much experience yet I agree. But if they don't agree terms with a more experienced and successful manager then there is no other choice. When it comes to Tuchel, I like him. He is a really good tactician.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Considering all this, I also don't find him good enough for this team. It is nothing personal for me too. But he just doesn't show anything good.

He isn't bad as a coach if we're being honest but the Man U system doesn't suit him because of some things happening close doors that we don't know about and that's why I also want him gone.

The club is spoiling his credentials, the club is in a mess and nothing is being done to solve this. At Ajax he did perform well and that's why he was called up to United.

The last two draws against Porto and Aston villa is one of the reasons he's still a United manager.

Also the cost of sacking him which is reported to cost United around £14million could be why he's being back by some board members (minority owners) but I think the best thing United can do, is to path way with ETH and get a new coach to start things a fresh.

[JollyGood]

The Ajax games against Manchester United in the Europa League Final (seven months before Ten Hag was appointed their manager) and against Tottenham in the Champions League semi-final in 2019 were brilliant for Ajax and Ten Hag. He inherited an excellent team and squad then built upon it nearly taking Ajax to the Champions League final and only missing out by Tottenham scoring more away goals.

I do not think the club is spoiling his credentials. He has purchased the players he wanted and the squad he has are his team, every player at the club is there because he wants them therefore he has run out of excuses. The club should either immediately sack him and pay the compensation or they should make an announcement that the talk of replacing him is not true and he will definitely remain manager at the end of the season. That way he will be able to try to do his job in improving the team without the constant talk about his possible sacking.

He isn't bad as a coach if we're being honest but the Man U system doesn't suit him because of some things happening close doors that we don't know about and that's why I also want him gone.

The club is spoiling his credentials, the club is in a mess and nothing is being done to solve this. At Ajax he did perform well and that's why he was called up to United.

The last two draws against Porto and Aston villa is one of the reasons he's still a United manager.

Also the cost of sacking him which is reported to cost United around £14million could be why he's being back by some board members (minority owners) but I think the best thing United can do, is to path way with ETH and get a new coach to start things a fresh.

[tokeweed]

Still another nine days to go before the next Premier League games, how do you think these games will play out?

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Fulham vs Aston Villa
Ipswich Town vs Everton
Manchester United vs Brentford
Newcastle United vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Southampton vs Leicester City
Bournemouth vs Arsenal

Manchester City play away at Wolves a day later and Liverpool also do not play their game against Chelsea until a day later therefore Arsenal have a chance to go top of the league.

I can't see the Wolves getting any points against Man City.  Lol.  Not with the Wolves' current form, even if City is playing away.  That's gonna end with something like 1 - 3 or something...  Maybe a thrashing.  Dunno tho, we'll see as it looks like there's another international break.  A lot of the time, squads come back and play unpredictably from what I've seen.  I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea won against Liverpool.    Maybe even Brentford getting all three points at Old Trafford..?  That would be so hilarious.

Oh and how important is Trossard in Arsenal's current squad?  He won't be able to play vs Bournemouth as he got a couple of yellow cards vs City.

[Distraction]

I can't see the Wolves getting any points against Man City.  Lol.  Not with the Wolves' current form, even if City is playing away.  That's gonna end with something like 1 - 3 or something...  Maybe a thrashing.  Dunno tho, we'll see as it looks like there's another international break.  A lot of the time, squads come back and play unpredictably from what I've seen.  I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea won against Liverpool.    Maybe even Brentford getting all three points at Old Trafford..?  That would be so hilarious.

I completely agree with you on Wolves. There is no way they are collecting points against Manchester City while playing this poorly.    21 goals conceded in 7 matches, just what? They are already at the bottom in the PL and they should be grateful if they manage to hold onto the Premier League somehow. Even that is very questionable...

We had better get ready for any kind of a result in the Chelsea - Liverpool match. Especially for a draw which is what these teams get against each other quite often. For Brentford, it wouldn't be surprising at all while Manchester United are in terrible shape. 

[punk.zink]

I can't see the Wolves getting any points against Man City.  Lol.  Not with the Wolves' current form, even if City is playing away.  That's gonna end with something like 1 - 3 or something...  Maybe a thrashing.  Dunno tho, we'll see as it looks like there's another international break.  A lot of the time, squads come back and play unpredictably from what I've seen.  I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea won against Liverpool.    Maybe even Brentford getting all three points at Old Trafford..?  That would be so hilarious.

I completely agree with you on Wolves. There is no way they are collecting points against Manchester City while playing this poorly.    21 goals conceded in 7 matches, just what? They are already at the bottom in the PL and they should be grateful if they manage to hold onto the Premier League somehow. Even that is very questionable...

We had better get ready for any kind of a result in the Chelsea - Liverpool match. Especially for a draw which is what these teams get against each other quite often. For Brentford, it wouldn't be surprising at all while Manchester United are in terrible shape. 

Even though Wolves will be playing at home, I don't think it will make a difference because it still doesn't hide the fact that their defense is very poor, and I even think this match will be a moment for Erling Haaland to strengthen his status as top scorer and there will be a massacre in this match. Liverpool and Chelsea will be a tight one, but somehow I feel that Liverpool will win by a narrow margin, maybe it has something to do with Chelsea's performance in their last game which was not very good in my opinion.

[JollyGood]

Oh and how important is Trossard in Arsenal's current squad?  He won't be able to play vs Bournemouth as he got a couple of yellow cards vs City.

When a team is winning, the managers do not like to either rotate the squad too much or rest key players unless they have an important gaming coming. If Arteta could have avoided having to replace Trossard it would have been better for him and the balance of the team. There are options to cover his position but he has been integral for Arsenal this season.

We had better get ready for any kind of a result in the Chelsea - Liverpool match. Especially for a draw which is what these teams get against each other quite often. For Brentford, it wouldn't be surprising at all while Manchester United are in terrible shape. 

On current form, I expect Chelsea to win their home game against Liverpool because both will play attacking football leaving space at the back. As for Manchester United, will anybody be surprised if Brentford win?

[igebotz]

Oh and how important is Trossard in Arsenal's current squad?  He won't be able to play vs Bournemouth as he got a couple of yellow cards vs City.

He is the club's best second-half substitute and has scored important match-winning goals since last season. Saka is also out; the extent of his injuries is unknown, but things do not seem good for them. No Saka, Ode and Trossard.

On current form, I expect Chelsea to win their home game against Liverpool because both will play attacking football leaving space at the back. As for Manchester United, will anybody be surprised if Brentford win?

Allison is out, not a huge news but it a little advantage to us. As for Manchester United they're on a promo and I wouldn't be surprised if they lose again. I will be going against them against Brentford.