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

[JollyGood]

I watched most of the Manchester vs Leicester City FA Cup game yesterday and heard the commentator mention something new. He said Amorim was complimentary of Van Nistlerooy in his press conference and that he could not allow a club legend to work in the lower ranks of the club and at the same he could not turn his back on his group of coaches and assistants he has worked with for 5 years. That was the reason Van Nistlerooy left the club.

He also stated he did not want to take over as manager of Manchester United until after the season ended because coming in mid-season would not allow him to put his training methods and plans in to motion as he knew it would disrupt the structure of the players. Amorim claims he took the job because he had to make a choice when he was told it would be unavailable next season.

If Manchester United end the season as Europa League winners and the FA Cup winners, it will be considered a massive success regardless of where they finish in the Premier League. Even if they win nothing this season, they cannot blame Amorim, he should be given time.

This is the exact fan pressure we're talking about: he was always going to have a poor season with the dismantled squad he inherited; he knew it wouldn't be easy, but he accepted it nevertheless. The best he can do this season is make it to the Europa League semi-finals and possibly finish in the top 10.

Everyone needs to lower their expectations so they won't get disappointed and start calling for his head.

[tokeweed]

This is the exact fan pressure we're talking about: he was always going to have a poor season with the dismantled squad he inherited; he knew it wouldn't be easy, but he accepted it nevertheless. The best he can do this season is make it to the Europa League semi-finals and possibly finish in the top 10.

Everyone needs to lower their expectations so they won't get disappointed and start calling for his head.

If Man United gets fan pressure once again then the club will be in the same situation...  And it's really up to them if they're going for another short term route and give their manager the sack or go for the long term route and fully support Amorim and rebuild the club with his vision. 

With Arsenal, how many years and how many transfer windows did it take for Arteta to rebuild the club from being fringe top 5 to title contenders?

[JollyGood]

These are the next set of games taking place:

Wednesday 12th February
Everton vs Liverpool

Friday 14th February
Brighton and Hove Albion vs Chelsea

Saturday 15th February
Leicester City vs Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Ipswich Town
Fulham vs Nottingham Forest
Manchester City vs Newcastle United
Southampton vs Bournemouth
West Ham United vs Brentford
Crystal Palace vs Everton

Sunday 16th February
Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

I am not changing my mind about the Merseyside derby, Liverpool are top of the league and playing well but Everton (as a result of the Moyes bounce) will win the game 

[tokeweed]

^  Uh..  Well...  Hmmm...  Moyes did outfox Ferguson back in the day in Everton vs Man United matches.  Maybe he could make this match look ugly and a low scoring one.  Get a point from it at least. 

Another interesting game would be Fulham vs Nottingham Forest.  Nottingham Forest running pretty good but it will be against Fulham and away.  Man City vs Newcastle could be one of those ones when Eddie Howe could go for the jugular while City is weak.

[igebotz]

<snip>

With Arsenal, how many years and how many transfer windows did it take for Arteta to rebuild the club from being fringe top 5 to title contenders?

Arteta did horribly for 3 seasons; credit goes to sporting director Edu for sticking up to him and not succumbing to fan pressure and the entire #ArtetaOut campaign in his second and third seasons. He spent a lot of money to resize the squad, and it worked out well for him. If they had fired Arteta, they would still be struggling like other clubs.

Chelsea made the same mistake with Poch: he had the squad under his control at the end of last season, and everything was going well until he was fired unexpectedly.

[CLS63]

I am not changing my mind about the Merseyside derby, Liverpool are top of the league and playing well but Everton (as a result of the Moyes bounce) will win the game  

Everton have been playing really differently since Moyes arrived. I have no doubt he will do his best to surprise people against Liverpool. If Everton win then the title race would also heat up more.

Liverpool are having a strong season. Arne Slot knows what he is doing despite not making many transfers yet. But considering that Liverpool don't have a great away history against Everton a really interesting match could be waiting for us.

[tokeweed]

<snip>

With Arsenal, how many years and how many transfer windows did it take for Arteta to rebuild the club from being fringe top 5 to title contenders?

Arteta did horribly for 3 seasons; credit goes to sporting director Edu for sticking up to him and not succumbing to fan pressure and the entire #ArtetaOut campaign in his second and third seasons. He spent a lot of money to resize the squad, and it worked out well for him. If they had fired Arteta, they would still be struggling like other clubs.

Chelsea made the same mistake with Poch: he had the squad under his control at the end of last season, and everything was going well until he was fired unexpectedly.

Yup...  And Tuchel!  I was surprised they gave him the sack after he gave the club a CL trophy with a not so perfect squad.  Had they stuck with him, Chelsea wouldn't have needed to go through a couple more managers before getting the one they have now.  And who knows, they would've already won a league title.

I think we'll start seeing a new culture in the EPL when clubs start sticking more with their managers.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Chelsea made the same mistake with Poch: he had the squad under his control at the end of last season, and everything was going well until he was fired unexpectedly.

Now a mistake? Because Enzo has being pulling out some disaster of recent? I thought we'all praise him when he was doing absolutely well and appreciated the boards for making the right decision in firing Poch and replacing him with Enzo.

Hiring Enzo and what he has achieved is better than anything Poch would have done for Chelsea. We need only 1/2 signings to get the squad up to the standards of winning the premier league. I was surprised we didn't go for any striker in the just concluded January transfer. So the board are still giving that clown (Jackson) a chance. I don't get it if the boards aren't interested in finishing at a good position this season for next season champaign.

[igebotz]

Yup...  And Tuchel!  I was surprised they gave him the sack after he gave the club a CL trophy with a not so perfect squad.  Had they stuck with him, Chelsea wouldn't have needed to go through a couple more managers before getting the one they have now.  And who knows, they would've already won a league title.

The owners wanted a "Yes sir " manager and someone to manage their U21 projects and take everything thrown at them without complaining but Tuchel was way bigger than that so he got sacked.

Now a mistake? Because Enzo has being pulling out some disaster of recent? I thought we'all praise him when he was doing absolutely well and appreciated the boards for making the right decision in firing Poch and replacing him with Enzo.

Enzo Mascara lacks plan B, he's the most fortunate manager in the last 3 seasons now - no injury crisis, yet we're still shit.

Hiring Enzo and what he has achieved is better than anything Poch would have done for Chelsea.

The problem with Poch was Sanchez at the beginning, he got rip of him and we started fighting back from 9th to 6th at the end of last season - everyone wanted him sacked earlier but after the end of last season the fans were happy and wanted another season but he was sacked unexpectedly.

I'm not going to judge Enzo Mascara but if he doesn't finish in Top4 this season with the squad we have - we will have a discussion.

[tokeweed]

Yup...  And Tuchel!  I was surprised they gave him the sack after he gave the club a CL trophy with a not so perfect squad.  Had they stuck with him, Chelsea wouldn't have needed to go through a couple more managers before getting the one they have now.  And who knows, they would've already won a league title.

The owners wanted a "Yes sir " manager and someone to manage their U21 projects and take everything thrown at them without complaining but Tuchel was way bigger than that so he got sacked.

Wdym by someone to manage their U21 projects?  They wanted Tuchel to have a hand with them directly or they wanted to Tuchel to act like some kind of head of all the projects under Chelsea?

Afaik at Man City, the way they do things is exactly what the Chelsea brass expected of Tuchel.  Guardiola not only the manager of the senior squad but he also oversees their other projects and their academy.  But yeah, he doesn't manage them directly.  He has people doing the job for him...  The idea is to let everything work together with the senior squad and see who they could absorb for the senior squad and see who they could use for the transfer market.

[CLS63]

Last night it was really hell of a match. Everton have really changed since Moyes signed for the job. Now we are watching a much more productive team. Even against the strongest team of the season they fought hard until the last minute.

Really that dedication kept them alive in the match. Because Tarkowski's superb goal in the last minute brought the point for his team. Now there are 7 points between Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race.

[JollyGood]

These are the results of the recent games:

Wednesday 12th February
Everton 2-2 Liverpool

Friday 14th February
Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 Chelsea

Liverpool are having a strong season. Arne Slot knows what he is doing despite not making many transfers yet. But considering that Liverpool don't have a great away history against Everton a really interesting match could be waiting for us.

It was the last Merseyside derby and it did not disappoint. Everton came close to winning becaus of the Moyes bounce and even though Liverpool came from behind to take the lead, I am unsure why they allowed the heat of the moment to get to them. They did not lose the game against Everton, they are top of the Premier League table, they are in the Champions League and they are in the Carabao Cup final. Slot needs to get himself and his squad composes otherwise they might start dropping too many points.

As for Chelsea, if they had scored (when Palmer uncharacteristically placed the ball wide when it was crossed from the right) and had taken the lead it might have been a different story. What a fantastic goal from Mitoma that gave Brighton the initial lead. Brighton refused to allow Chelsea to control the game and they deserved the win.


These are the games taking place today Saturday 15th February:

Leicester City vs Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Ipswich Town
Fulham vs Nottingham Forest
Manchester City vs Newcastle United
Southampton vs Bournemouth
West Ham United vs Brentford
Crystal Palace vs Everton


RESULTS:

Leicester City 0-2 Arsenal
Aston Villa 1-1 Ipswich Town
Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Manchester City 4-0 Newcastle United
Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth
West Ham United 0-1 Brentford
Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton

Leicester City are second from bottom and at least three points from safety, if van Nistlerooy wants to save his job as manager they have to avoid relegation. Having said that, Arsenal won the game and put all the pressure back on Liverpool cutting the gap to just 4 points. Congratulations to Fulham, I expected Nottingham Forest to win but Fulham took all three points.

Manchester City new striker Marmoush helped them to a 4-0 home win but they do have major defensive problems that will be exposed when they play any team that is on form.

As for Everton, the Moyes bounce continues with another win and this time they move above Manchester United in the Premier League table.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[igebotz]

Wdym by someone to manage their U21 projects?  They wanted Tuchel to have a hand with them directly or they wanted to Tuchel to act like some kind of head of all the projects under Chelsea?

Afaik at Man City, the way they do things is exactly what the Chelsea brass expected of Tuchel.  Guardiola not only the manager of the senior squad but he also oversees their other projects and their academy.  But yeah, he doesn't manage them directly.  He has people doing the job for him...  The idea is to let everything work together with the senior squad and see who they could absorb for the senior squad and see who they could use for the transfer market.

Thy wanted him to be involved in the club's internal affairs both on and off the pitch, but he insisted on focussing on the senior team and refusing to help the team look for random kids in Europe. "Just get me good players and let me do my job," he said, which was quite different from what the owners were thinking.

Congratulations to Fulham, I expected Nottingham Forest to win but Fulham took all three points.

Another opportunity to close gap with Nottingham forest missed again.

[JollyGood]

That 3-0 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion means Chelsea wasted another opportunity to strengthen their claim for top four position especially as Nottingham Forest lost their away game. Something has gone wrong at Chelsea over the past couple of months. After having a brilliant period without loss they have gone from within touching distance of Liverpool at the top of the table to fighting for a 4th place finish.

Maresca needs to change something fast otherwise Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football next season.

Another opportunity to close gap with Nottingham forest missed again.

[tokeweed]

Wdym by someone to manage their U21 projects?  They wanted Tuchel to have a hand with them directly or they wanted to Tuchel to act like some kind of head of all the projects under Chelsea?

Afaik at Man City, the way they do things is exactly what the Chelsea brass expected of Tuchel.  Guardiola not only the manager of the senior squad but he also oversees their other projects and their academy.  But yeah, he doesn't manage them directly.  He has people doing the job for him...  The idea is to let everything work together with the senior squad and see who they could absorb for the senior squad and see who they could use for the transfer market.

Thy wanted him to be involved in the club's internal affairs both on and off the pitch, but he insisted on focussing on the senior team and refusing to help the team look for random kids in Europe. "Just get me good players and let me do my job," he said, which was quite different from what the owners were thinking.

Ah...  Not a got look as it shows that he's not really that committed with the club.  But the Chelsea brass should've given him a deal.  Give him a couple of years or so to focus on the senior squad, win the trophies then after that commit to manage the club as a whole with a pay raise if he does get them the trophies.

That would be fair imho.

And as for Moyes...  I'm telling you guys.  He isn't called the genius Moyes for nothing.  He could outfox all these fools when you least expect it. 

Same same with Marco Silva.  He's a decent manager.

[JollyGood]

These are the games taking place today Sunday 16th February:

Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

Liverpool should win the game quite comfortably and increase the gap at the top of the table. Wolves are in a relegation fight, they are not in the relegation zone but need points to get further away and I will be surprised if they manage to get anything from the game.

Things are bad at the moment for both Tottenham and Manchester United, both are in need of confidence and points. The way things stand Manchester United manager Amorim is secure in his job but Tottenham manager Postecoglou is at risk of getting the sack. I expect this to end in a draw.


RESULTS:

Liverpool 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester United

Liverpool did not dominate the game as I expected but they managed to take all three points. Wolves deserve credit for finding a way in to the game after being two goals down. They were unfortunate especially after Konate should have been sent off in the first half for a second yellow card that was not given.

Tottenham had a narrow win and it will take pressure off their manager Postecoglou. As for Manchester United, they were awful in the first half and the beginning of the second half. Somehow they took the game to Tottenham in the second half but failed to score even though looked a threat. Amorim will need to make wholesale changes over the summer transfer window if Manchester United are to have any chance of success next season.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[igebotz]

Maresca needs to change something fast otherwise Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football next season.

The bigger problem are the owners - we have had 5 tactical Managers in the last two years and nothing has worked out yet- turning the football club into money making machine is only going to set us back. Thy keep spending money on unknown players. Time for the new owners to leave or bring back our old philosophy.

Ah...  Not a got look as it shows that he's not really that committed with the club.  But the Chelsea brass should've given him a deal.

He knew it wasn't going to work and he was right- leaving was the best solution for his career.

[JollyGood]

These are the next games taking place:

Wednesday 19th February
Aston Villa vs Liverpool

Friday 21st February
Leicester City vs Brentford

Liverpool are top of the Premier League and currently 7 points ahead of second placed Arsenal. If they win their game away at Aston Villa, they will move 10 points clear. They have an opportunity to create a massive lead before play their next game.

In the other game Leicester City must get at least a point to relieve some pressure because they need to try to get out of the relegation zone. Brentford will tough to beat but Leicester City have to believe they can win the game. It will be a painful day if they get relegated immediately after getting promoted. The same for Southampton and Ipswich Town as these three teams were promoted last season.
 

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Wednesday 19th February
Aston Villa vs Liverpool

Liverpool are top of the Premier League and currently 7 points ahead of second placed Arsenal. If they win their game away at Aston Villa, they will move 10 points clear. They have an opportunity to create a massive lead before play their next game.

What do you think? Who's winning, you going with Liverpool right? When I saw the fixtures I had some sort of feeling of Aston villa being able to hold Liverpool to a shared point but after looking at Aston villa form, I don't think that's possible.

They'll be lucky to not get flooded with goals. Liverpool is winning and there's nothing Aston villa can play to get a point, a point because all three points is never an option on the table. Liverpool are in need of that 3 points to go 10 points clear of Arsenal.

Not that Arsenal is of any threat to Liverpool title campaign but they need those points for more confidence .

[JollyGood]

Ordinarily I would have thought Liverpool would win or the game ends in a draw but not I am leaning towards Aston Villa winning or the game ends in a draw. This could be one of those games that Liverpool could regret if they fail to win as it will allow Arsenal to close the gap to just 4 points if they win their game.

Maybe the game ends in a 1-0 win for Aston Villa or a 1-1 draw but in either case I have a feeling Rashford will play a massive part (being an ex-Manchester United player).

What do you think? Who's winning, you going with Liverpool right? When I saw the fixtures I had some sort of feeling of Aston villa being able to hold Liverpool to a shared point but after looking at Aston villa form, I don't think that's possible.

They'll be lucky to not get flooded with goals. Liverpool is winning and there's nothing Aston villa can play to get a point, a point because all three points is never an option on the table. Liverpool are in need of that 3 points to go 10 points clear of Arsenal.

Not that Arsenal is of any threat to Liverpool title campaign but they need those points for more confidence .

When you look at the Premier League table, we can see Arsenal getting closer to Liverpool at the top. At the bottom, Manchester United are edging closer towards the relegation zone. Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest along with Fulham deserve a lot of respect for staying in the hunt for a Champions League spot.