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

[igebotz]

^  Oh for sure there will be pressure on Guardiola.  But at the same time, I think he'll feel relieved that all signs are pointing for him to leave and not to extend his contract anymore.  Come what may.

The club had a good run with Guardiola.  That was enough...  Time to give the club a new look with a new manager.  But I think it would be better not to get a marquee manager right away,  Maybe copy what Liverpool did after Klopp and hope for the best.  It's been going good for them so far.

That would be risky; downgrading Pep to an inexperienced manager might further destabilise the project; after Pep, they would need someone on his level with a different approach to keep the team in good shape.

They have an excellent track record of scouting and picking the best manager, so I would trust them to make the right call after Pep, just like they did with Mancini and Pellegrini.

Anyone fancy BTS & over 2.5 goals in Arsenal vs Nottingham game?

[tokeweed]

^  But which manager would be willing to take over and accept the risk that it could be a career breaking decision?  There's prolly one guy...  Arteta but only because I think he'll be given the same assurance that Txiki and Ferran Soriano gave Guardiola.  All the others will pass imho.

Guardiola seems exhausted, he needs a break from the game. I am fairly certain this will be his last season at Manchester City though I am not sure if he will quit before it ends.

Liverpool could have collapsed after Klopp left the club but they recruited Slot and it seems to have been a brilliant transition. He won the Premier League in his first season with almost the same squad as Klopp left behind therefore it cannot be debated how good Slot actually is.

Liverpool seem to be in good hands with Slot as their manager. They were fortunate to first sign Klopp and then Slot. It did not happen with Chelsea and Manchester United, they went from manager to manager trying to find stability.

Yup, Liverpool somewhat got lucky.  They prolly didn't think he'd get this level of success with him.  He prolly was just a place holder while the club was still figuring out if they could acquire Xabi Alonso.

[JollyGood]

These are the games taking place today Sunday 14th September:

Burnley vs Liverpool
Manchester City vs Manchester United

It has been a difficult start of the season for Manchester City, if they lose today it will be a triumph of Amorim and a huge setback for Guardiola. As for Liverpool, they should win their game at Burnley.

[igebotz]

^  But which manager would be willing to take over and accept the risk that it could be a career breaking decision?  There's prolly one guy...  Arteta but only because I think he'll be given the same assurance that Txiki and Ferran Soriano gave Guardiola.  All the others will pass imho.

Conte is unemployed, Tuchel is only keeping busy with the England national team waiting for a good club offer. These are winning monsters. Except they want flashy toys.

Liverpool struggling again for the 4th consecutive game of the season.

[tokeweed]

^  Mmm..  I don't the City back room would go for Conte.  And as for Tuchel, even if City is interested, I think Tuchel will only listen to offers after the 2026 World Cup.  I don't usually pay attention to international football but Tuchel making a run for it with England is kinda exciting.

I think Julian Naglesmann would be an interesting to them.  But yeah, if it isn't Arteta, it will be Kompany.

Anyway, United was prolly so excited to be the next club to beat City.  But no... 

[igebotz]

^  Mmm..  I don't the City back room would go for Conte.  And as for Tuchel, even if City is interested, I think Tuchel will only listen to offers after the 2026 World Cup.  I don't usually pay attention to international football but Tuchel making a run for it with England is kinda exciting.

I think Julian Naglesmann would be an interesting to them.  But yeah, if it isn't Arteta, it will be Kompany.

Anyway, United was prolly so excited to be the next club to beat City.  But no... 

Pep's contract expires after the World Cup, but City is unlikely to let him go unless he decides to leave. If the season goes well, he may be given another extension.

Arteta cannot fill Pep's shoes - he is not a proven winner.

[JollyGood]

RESULTS:

Burnley 0-1 Liverpool
Manchester City 3-0 Manchester United

Salah scored a late goal for Liverpool as they won 1-0 at Burnley. The game was heading for a draw but a late penalty for Liverpool changed everything. In the other game, Manchester City won the Manchester derby 3-0. They paid just £26 million to buy Donnarumma and he will be a fantastic addition for Guardiola. As for Amorim, he will not be in his post for much longer unless they start to win games.

[tokeweed]

^  Mmm..  I don't the City back room would go for Conte.  And as for Tuchel, even if City is interested, I think Tuchel will only listen to offers after the 2026 World Cup.  I don't usually pay attention to international football but Tuchel making a run for it with England is kinda exciting.

I think Julian Naglesmann would be an interesting to them.  But yeah, if it isn't Arteta, it will be Kompany.

Anyway, United was prolly so excited to be the next club to beat City.  But no... 

Pep's contract expires after the World Cup, but City is unlikely to let him go unless he decides to leave. If the season goes well, he may be given another extension.

Arteta cannot fill Pep's shoes - he is not a proven winner.

I think Guardiola is ready to go and take another sabbatical.  He has nothing more to give the club at this point.

As for Arteta...  Hard to show everybody that you're a 'proven winner' if the club in question is Arsenal.  But we need to give him credit for giving Arsenal a chance given the limited budget he has over there.  He has proven that his process will only make a club better.  Now imagine that process combined with Man City's resources.  That's a winner imho.

Can't wait for what's next whatever that might be. 

[igebotz]

I think Guardiola is ready to go and take another sabbatical.  He has nothing more to give the club at this point.

As for Arteta...  Hard to show everybody that you're a 'proven winner' if the club in question is Arsenal.  But we need to give him credit for giving Arsenal a chance given the limited budget he has over there.  He has proven that his process will only make a club better.  Now imagine that process combined with Man City's resources.  That's a winner imho.

Can't wait for what's next whatever that might be. 

I don't see him leaving maybe I'm the only one seeing it - it hard to let go someone like Pep when there's literally nothing better than him outside currently. It would be a huge gamble if they do

I could take the "Arsenal trophy curse" for Arteta but don't say he got limited budgets; the club changed every danm thing for him including removing the old sport director to get him an open cheque one - he's been there for over 7 years and over a billion dollar spent on players.

The only thing limiting Arteta from spending more money is the PRS and FFP rules - you must make sales to buy more and we know Arsenal sucks at selling.

[JollyGood]

I think Guardiola is ready to go and take another sabbatical.  He has nothing more to give the club at this point.

Guardiola does not seem happy in his post at Manchester City. The 3-0 win over a failing Manchester United team will give him some relief but the pressure will not subside forever. As the season progresses, he will find himself in trouble again when Manchester City lose another game. It seems as though he has fallen out of love with the game.

I don't see him leaving maybe I'm the only one seeing it - it hard to let go someone like Pep when there's literally nothing better than him outside currently. It would be a huge gamble if they do

No matter how much the club might want him to stay, he could resign at the end of the season (that is possible).

[igebotz]

I don't see him leaving maybe I'm the only one seeing it - it hard to let go someone like Pep when there's literally nothing better than him outside currently. It would be a huge gamble if they do

No matter how much the club might want him to stay, he could resign at the end of the season (that is possible).

He seemed to be enjoying himself there, and unless another opportunity pops up somewhere, I don't understand why he would leave from one of Europe's best teams to remain unemployed back home - this city job is the only thing keeping him happy with his divorce and all that.

I've never seen a single City page calling for his head not a single one.

Unexpected start for Isak in today's CL game - Liverpool having a late winner in the last 5 games when is this ever going to end.

[JollyGood]

He seemed to be enjoying himself there, and unless another opportunity pops up somewhere, I don't understand why he would leave from one of Europe's best teams to remain unemployed back home - this city job is the only thing keeping him happy with his divorce and all that.

I suppose we have no idea what is happening behind the scenes. What if he connects the city, the country and of course the football club with the divorce and breakdown of his relationship with his wife? He seems fatigued when he gives his press conferences and interviews. In my opinion, he is clearly under stress because he seems to behave different to how he did a couple of years ago.

I've never seen a single City page calling for his head not a single one.

Last season it seemed as though some of the players were no longer playing for the manager, this season is much better but they will be scrutinised as soon as they start losing games. I think he will continue to have the support of the players, at least until the  end of the season.

[tokeweed]

I think Guardiola is ready to go and take another sabbatical.  He has nothing more to give the club at this point.

As for Arteta...  Hard to show everybody that you're a 'proven winner' if the club in question is Arsenal.  But we need to give him credit for giving Arsenal a chance given the limited budget he has over there.  He has proven that his process will only make a club better.  Now imagine that process combined with Man City's resources.  That's a winner imho.

Can't wait for what's next whatever that might be. 

I don't see him leaving maybe I'm the only one seeing it - it hard to let go someone like Pep when there's literally nothing better than him outside currently. It would be a huge gamble if they do

I could take the "Arsenal trophy curse" for Arteta but don't say he got limited budgets; the club changed every danm thing for him including removing the old sport director to get him an open cheque one - he's been there for over 7 years and over a billion dollar spent on players.

The only thing limiting Arteta from spending more money is the PRS and FFP rules - you must make sales to buy more and we know Arsenal sucks at selling.

Prolly not after this season but after his contract expires, I don't Guardiola is gonna make another extension after extending it a couple of times prior.  He will finally say no more on 2027 and the club will have no choice but to agree.

As for Arteta, the thing is Arsenal couldn't really splash the cash the same way City can.  I think give Arteta three years at City and he might be able to win the league for them by the third year.

That I think would be a fair assessment. 

[JollyGood]

If the Manchester City manager job becomes available, I cannot see any reason why Arteta would leave Arsenal to take over at Manchester City. The only way I see Arteta applying for the Manchester City job is if he was already unemployed or if he were managing a small club outside the big European leagues.

He is not far away from building a squad that would be capable of winning the Premier League. Unless something goes seriously wrong at Arsenal, I would be surprised if they did not win it within the next five years.

As for Arteta, the thing is Arsenal couldn't really splash the cash the same way City can.  I think give Arteta three years at City and he might be able to win the league for them by the third year.

[tokeweed]

If the Manchester City manager job becomes available, I cannot see any reason why Arteta would leave Arsenal to take over at Manchester City. The only way I see Arteta applying for the Manchester City job is if he was already unemployed or if he were managing a small club outside the big European leagues.

He is not far away from building a squad that would be capable of winning the Premier League. Unless something goes seriously wrong at Arsenal, I would be surprised if they did not win it within the next five years.

Not saying it's a sure thing but I think football managers in Europe dream to win trophies with different clubs and achieve more as a manager.

And not just that, making a lot money is another huge motivator for these guys.  Arteta also worked with Guardiola for a while at City and was once said to be earmarked to replace Pep.  He prolly still is imho. 

So yeah...  Let's see what happens in a couple of years.  But I wouldn't be surprised to see if Arteta really does go to City.

[igebotz]

I suppose we have no idea what is happening behind the scenes. What if he connects the city, the country and of course the football club with the divorce and breakdown of his relationship with his wife? He seems fatigued when he gives his press conferences and interviews. In my opinion, he is clearly under stress because he seems to behave different to how he did a couple of years ago.

What if his loyalty and endless attention to the city job was the reason his wife left him and kicked him out of the house?  Remember SAF's wife hated the job as well - old man had to retire to be at home to save his marriage.

Last season it seemed as though some of the players were no longer playing for the manager, this season is much better but they will be scrutinised as soon as they start losing games. I think he will continue to have the support of the players, at least until the  end of the season.

Not sure about that as same set of players are all doing well this season.

As for Arteta, the thing is Arsenal couldn't really splash the cash the same way City can.  I think give Arteta three years at City and he might be able to win the league for them by the third year.

Anyone who can finish 2nd in the league three times in a row with Arsenal will win the league title with any team other than Arsenal.

[JollyGood]

Not saying it's a sure thing but I think football managers in Europe dream to win trophies with different clubs and achieve more as a manager.

The game has evolved over the years. Winning league championships and European trophies with different clubs is something modern managers seem to be aiming for now. The days of a manager staying with a club beyond 10 years is somewhat rare now.

What if his loyalty and endless attention to the city job was the reason his wife left him and kicked him out of the house? 

It certainly is a possibility. Having said that, if a man chose to manage a football club instead reconciling with his wife of 30 odd years then it shows his loyalty is more screwed up than anybody could have ever thought.

Remember SAF's wife hated the job as well - old man had to retire to be at home to save his marriage.

Not true. Ferguson announced his retirement in 2001 after 16 years as manager of Manchester United but it was his wife that encouraged him to stay on because she knew he loved the game and his job. In the end he retired in 2013 because he felt his wife gave him everything therefore when her twin sister died, he felt he owed it to her to retire and spend more time with her.

[igebotz]

It certainly is a possibility. Having said that, if a man chose to manage a football club instead reconciling with his wife of 30 odd years then it shows his loyalty is more screwed up than anybody could have ever thought.

Had the chance to choose between what he loves( football) and what and he once loved( wife) that was easy.

Not true. Ferguson announced his retirement in 2001 after 16 years as manager of Manchester United but it was his wife that encouraged him to stay on because she knew he loved the game and his job. In the end he retired in 2013 because he felt his wife gave him everything therefore when her twin sister died, he felt he owed it to her to retire and spend more time with her.

Just looked it up now lol I've been with the wrong story all my life until today. BTW that was my quote not tokeweed's.

[JollyGood]

Just looked it up now lol I've been with the wrong story all my life until today. BTW that was my quote not tokeweed's.

Yes I noticed it later 


These are the games taking place on Saturday 27th September:

Brentford vs Manchester United
Chelsea vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool
Leeds United vs Bournemouth
Manchester City vs Burnley
Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

After selling many players to Chelsea over the years, what are the chances Brighton will get something from the game? If Manchester United do not manage a win at Brentford, the pressure will be on Amorim again. I think game of the day will be Crystal Palace vs Liverpool.

[tokeweed]

As for Arteta, the thing is Arsenal couldn't really splash the cash the same way City can.  I think give Arteta three years at City and he might be able to win the league for them by the third year.

Anyone who can finish 2nd in the league three times in a row with Arsenal will win the league title with any team other than Arsenal.

I get what you're saying but it isn't that simple.  The thing is the club's back room matters a lot.  I don't think Arterta will find it as easy to win a trophy with Man United for the same amount of budget as Man City.    And I don't think a lot of managers could make Arsenal perform the way they do every year. 

So yeah, with that argument, we could both agree that Arteta is a good manager, possibly great in the future granting that he finds the right club.  And I think that club is City.