Whale.io 🐳 | ⚽ English Premier League Season: 2026/2027

[Slimzeee]

As for which club could get in the top 4, dunno...  It's a tough call.  Arsenal would be in there and maybe Chelsea under Alonso.  Maybe even Liverpool and City.  But I have a funny feeling Man United will be the laughing stock of the league again. 

It happened to Ole: he came in as an interim manager, led the club from the trenches, went on an 18-game winning run, delivered Champions League football, won the hearts of the fans and the club, received a lucrative permanent contract the next season, and transformed the club into a laughing stock.

I hope Carrick doesn't turn into another Ole after signing a permanent contract. I actually enjoy them more when they are a laughing stock.

I would say Man United as a team still has some understanding to do within themselves. Some of their delusional fans think that just a few games, in between weeks of rest, means they have arrived. It is difficult to successfully put together a team that can run 38 straight matches, coupled with Champions League football. They will have the shocker of the season

[igebotz]

I would say Man United as a team still has some understanding to do within themselves. Some of their delusional fans think that just a few games, in between weeks of rest, means they have arrived. It is difficult to successfully put together a team that can run 38 straight matches, coupled with Champions League football. They will have the shocker of the season

Ruben Amorim had the same privilege, same team, and almost dragged them to relegation - I'd think it's acceptable for them to have high expectations for what they accomplished this season, given where they came from. It's fine to dream.

Manchester United won more points than any other team since Carrick took over; imagine what he may have accomplished if he had arrived earlier. They may not win the league next season, but their return to the Champions League is already a big step in the right direction.

[JollyGood]

The last player Manchester City bid £100 million for was Jack Grealish. He arrived at Manchester City with huge expectations but look at how the transfer was a massive disappointment. He never managed to get the Manchester City fans to back him and I think Guardiola lost patience with him soon after the transfer.

I think £100 million for Anderson is excessive. It would be very difficult for any club to justify paying that much for him even though Nottingham Forest would probably sell him if a serious offer was made.

Bournemouth side had only 4 GD last season; they scored 58 goals and conceded 54 goals in the process despite having some of the most exciting defenders in the league. The fans wanted a full attacking football, now they'll have it all. 

Manchester city bid over 100m on Anderson from Nottingham Forest; he's a fantastic player but 100m? C'mon I don't think so.

[igebotz]

I think £100 million for Anderson is excessive. It would be very difficult for any club to justify paying that much for him even though Nottingham Forest would probably sell him if a serious offer was made.

Nottingham Forest are holding out for 120m; they want to create a bidding war between the two Manchester clubs ( United are also interested) greedy bastards.

100m on Anderson is the kind of deal you run away with immediately you receive such offer- I opened Nottingham Forest page and was hoping for some official departure announcement today, nothing.

I don't know who's more stupid here; Manchester city for bidding 100m or Nottingham Forest for rejecting.

[tokeweed]

Which Barcelona era that conceded lots of goals?  From what I've seen, it's the BVB version of Klopp that wanted to get the goals in as fast as possible but risk conceding goals in the process...

It's not sustainable, that's obv why Klopp had to evolve to win the EPL trophy.

Every Bacelona game I watched this season, they conceded first and did a lot of comebacks this season in the second half of the games. The high line didn't help but the attack got them from a lot of mess this season - conceded 2 goals less than Gatefa (7th) and 1 goal more than Real Madrid.

Every time I watched them play it was more like " if you score 2, we'll score 3 more" kind of game plan.

Ah this season...  Traditionally they play tika taka, possession based and highly structured football which is harder on average to score against.  It was one of the reasons why Barca fans were criticizing Luis Enrique's  style of play because he was moving away from how Barca traditionally plays and opted for a more direct approach. 

Edit:  Lmao.  Barca's current manager is Hansi Flick!  This guy is highly influenced by Klopp and the German gegenpressing style of play. 

[igebotz]

Ah this season...  Traditionally they play tika taka, possession based and highly structured football which is harder on average to score against.  It was one of the reasons why Barca fans were criticizing Luis Enrique's  style of play because he was moving away from how Barca traditionally plays and opted for a more direct approach. 

Edit:  Lmao.  Barca's current manager is Hansi Flick!  This guy is highly influenced by Klopp and the German gegenpressing style of play. 

Didn't the tikataka thing died after Pep left? It's thing of the past - more like an outdated version of football now.

It's difficult to play that kind of high possession football when you have players like Yamal and Raph who are a more direct attacking players. I did enjoyed how they played this season except for the high line that got exposed many times.

B. Silva to Real Madrid - this was a strange one, he doesn't strike me like Mourinho kind of player

[JollyGood]

It has to be Nottingham Forest because they clearly believe they have a player in demand and are effectively inviting other teams to show an interest. After what happened with Grealish, I think Manchester City have to be careful because they know how much pressure that price tag adds to a player when he plays for the club.

Manchester United might be interested in Anderson as a replacement for Casemiro but he remains unproven at the highest level of the game. Spending over £100 million for a player that has potential (but never really felt pressure playing for a big club) is probably a mistake.

Nottingham Forest are holding out for 120m; they want to create a bidding war between the two Manchester clubs ( United are also interested) greedy bastards.

100m on Anderson is the kind of deal you run away with immediately you receive such offer- I opened Nottingham Forest page and was hoping for some official departure announcement today, nothing.

I don't know who's more stupid here; Manchester city for bidding 100m or Nottingham Forest for rejecting.

[igebotz]

It has to be Nottingham Forest because they clearly believe they have a player in demand and are effectively inviting other teams to show an interest. After what happened with Grealish, I think Manchester City have to be careful because they know how much pressure that price tag adds to a player when he plays for the club.

Manchester United might be interested in Anderson as a replacement for Casemiro but he remains unproven at the highest level of the game. Spending over £100 million for a player that has potential (but never really felt pressure playing for a big club) is probably a mistake.

Manchester City sent the second bid of 121m package ( 106m fixed, 15m add -ons ) but it got rejected straight away as Nottingham Forest are asking for 120m fixed without add-ons - Manchester City are just about to ruin the transfer window for everyone even before it started.

If this deal goes through, no club would sell their star players below 80m - we are going to have another inflated transfer markets.

Nottingham Forest got Anderson from Newcastle just two years ago for 35m to help Newcastle clear the books- these motherfuckers are greedy, but they do know how to run business..

[tokeweed]

Ah this season...  Traditionally they play tika taka, possession based and highly structured football which is harder on average to score against.  It was one of the reasons why Barca fans were criticizing Luis Enrique's  style of play because he was moving away from how Barca traditionally plays and opted for a more direct approach.  

Edit:  Lmao.  Barca's current manager is Hansi Flick!  This guy is highly influenced by Klopp and the German gegenpressing style of play.  

Didn't the tikataka thing died after Pep left? It's thing of the past - more like an outdated version of football now.

It's difficult to play that kind of high possession football when you have players like Yamal and Raph who are a more direct attacking players. I did enjoyed how they played this season except for the high line that got exposed many times.

B. Silva to Real Madrid - this was a strange one, he doesn't strike me like Mourinho kind of player

How tika taka was played years ago has become obsolete as other managers have found ways to play against it effectively.  The German gegenpressing is very effective against it.  That's why Klopp has the most wins against Guardiola...

But as a foundation, it has been instrumental for some managers like Arteta, Maresca and to some point even Mourinho plays a possession based style.  Tiki taka isn't Guardiola's thing.  It's a style of football popular in Spain just like gegenpressing is a popular style of football in Germany.  

[JollyGood]

Manchester City sent the second bid of 121m package ( 106m fixed, 15m add -ons ) but it got rejected straight away as Nottingham Forest are asking for 120m fixed without add-ons - Manchester City are just about to ruin the transfer window for everyone even before it started.

If this deal goes through, no club would sell their star players below 80m - we are going to have another inflated transfer markets.

I have not been following a lot of news from the Premier League. With what little time I can spare the last couple of days, I have been watching some of the World Cup and spent time doing other things. As a result, I have not had too much free time these days however hopefully in the coming days I will be able to read the latest news on the Premier League

I had no idea Manchester City offered a package worth £121 million. Anderson is not worth anywhere near £100 million. Why are Manchester City trying to buy players when they have not officially announced the name of the next manager? Maybe the manager would not even want the players.

Nottingham Forest got Anderson from Newcastle just two years ago for 35m to help Newcastle clear the books- these motherfuckers are greedy, but they do know how to run business..

[igebotz]

I had no idea Manchester City offered a package worth £121 million. Anderson is not worth anywhere near £100 million. Why are Manchester City trying to buy players when they have not officially announced the name of the next manager? Maybe the manager would not even want the players.

It's Enzo Maresca or you're just waiting for the public announcement? It's been decided months ago and according to Fabrizio it was Enzo decision to get Anderson and then Tonali from Newcastle United after Anderson deal.

[JollyGood]

It is probably the worst kept secret in football because we all know the next Manchester City manager will be Maresca 

There is an issue with Chelsea because Maresca signed a contract until 2029 before resigning. If he signs to manage Manchester City, Chelsea will receive compensation worth millions otherwise the matter will end up in court. I think Manchester City want to start the post-Guardiola era without any controvesy therefore will make the payment and announce Maresca.

It's Enzo Maresca or you're just waiting for the public announcement? It's been decided months ago and according to Fabrizio it was Enzo decision to get Anderson and then Tonali from Newcastle United after Anderson deal.

[igebotz]

It is probably the worst kept secret in football because we all know the next Manchester City manager will be Maresca 

There is an issue with Chelsea because Maresca signed a contract until 2029 before resigning. If he signs to manage Manchester City, Chelsea will receive compensation worth millions otherwise the matter will end up in court. I think Manchester City want to start the post-Guardiola era without any controvesy therefore will make the payment and announce Maresca.

It's Enzo Maresca or you're just waiting for the public announcement? It's been decided months ago and according to Fabrizio it was Enzo decision to get Anderson and then Tonali from Newcastle United after Anderson deal.

I was just about to add this to my last post - he can't be confirmed officially until he cleared things up with Chelsea because he literally walked out of his contract.
____

That aside the owners just sold Cucurella to Real Madrid for £15m lesser than we signed him; 27yrs, 3 years on contract, one of the best LB for insanely cheap. Guess what? They would replace with him with a 100m  unproven younstar in the coming days.

The Sporting directors are trying so hard to get all the players on the old wage structure out of the club. Embarrassing business.

[JollyGood]

In fairness to the player, if a club such as Real Madrid make it known they want to buy him it is difficult to refuse. It will be an interesting transfer because Cucurella used to play for Barcelona yet could not break in to the first team, now he will face them while playing for another team. As he used to play in Spain, he will not have any problems there.

When I saw the amount he was sold for, it was disappointing. Chelsea could have sold him for much more therefore this is an excellent deal for Real Madrid but not a good one for Chelsea.

That aside the owners just sold Cucurella to Real Madrid for £15m lesser than we signed him; 27yrs, 3 years on contract, one of the best LB for insanely cheap. Guess what? They would replace with him with a 100m  unproven younstar in the coming days.

The Sporting directors are trying so hard to get all the players on the old wage structure out of the club. Embarrassing business.

[igebotz]

In fairness to the player, if a club such as Real Madrid make it known they want to buy him it is difficult to refuse. It will be an interesting transfer because Cucurella used to play for Barcelona yet could not break in to the first team, now he will face them while playing for another team. As he used to play in Spain, he will not have any problems there.

When I saw the amount he was sold for, it was disappointing. Chelsea could have sold him for much more therefore this is an excellent deal for Real Madrid but not a good one for Chelsea.

Cheap price compared to today's market but he was already talking about other clubs - granted many unnecessary interviews last season but the deal was too fast, no rumors at all. He said he was completely focused on the WC and the next day he was sold out of the blue.

It's a poor deal but I hate to see our players twerking for other clubs - we only want players who wants to play here. Enzo Fernandez next I guess.

We're losing everytbit of a "big club"  touch, we are becoming more like a stepping stones for players to achieve their dream moves.

[tokeweed]

I was just about to add this to my last post - he can't be confirmed officially until he cleared things up with Chelsea because he literally walked out of his contract.

How long do you guys think will all the negotiations between Man City and Chelsea is gonna take?  Can't wait for this upcoming season's manager line up. 

But I'm especially excited for Liverpool.  I guess their new manager is playing his squads in a new way of the gegenpress just like how managers like Guardiola evolved and plays a new way of positional football.

[JollyGood]

Cheap price compared to today's market but he was already talking about other clubs - granted many unnecessary interviews last season but the deal was too fast, no rumors at all. He said he was completely focused on the WC and the next day he was sold out of the blue.

It's a poor deal but I hate to see our players twerking for other clubs - we only want players who wants to play here. Enzo Fernandez next I guess.

We're losing everytbit of a "big club"  touch, we are becoming more like a stepping stones for players to achieve their dream moves.

From the Chelsea perspective, it really is a poor deal. As stated earlier, I cannot blame the player for wanting to play for Real Madrid but the amount Chelsea will receive is not what Cucurella is worth. As for Enzo, I think he has already been targeted by Real Madrid as a player they will go out and buy regardless of the cost.

How long do you guys think will all the negotiations between Man City and Chelsea is gonna take?  Can't wait for this upcoming season's manager line up. 

But I'm especially excited for Liverpool.  I guess their new manager is playing his squads in a new way of the gegenpress just like how managers like Guardiola evolved and plays a new way of positional football.

Manchester City want the uncertainty and speculation to end therefore they would probably want this matter concluded as soon as possible. As for Liverpool, is there any chance Salah will return now that Slot has departed?

[igebotz]

How long do you guys think will all the negotiations between Man City and Chelsea is gonna take?  Can't wait for this upcoming season's manager line up. 

But I'm especially excited for Liverpool.  I guess their new manager is playing his squads in a new way of the gegenpress just like how managers like Guardiola evolved and plays a new way of positional football.

It's between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea - he resigned from a long term contract so he expected to pay compensation to Chelsea for breach of contract. Both lawyers are in negotiations according to reports.

If you get sacked, you get compensation but if you resigned, you pay compensation to the club for wasting their time.

From the Chelsea perspective, it really is a poor deal. As stated earlier, I cannot blame the player for wanting to play for Real Madrid but the amount Chelsea will receive is not what Cucurella is worth. As for Enzo, I think he has already been targeted by Real Madrid as a player they will go out and buy regardless of the cost.

If Anderson deal goes through, Enzo Fernandez is likely going to stay at Chelsea - except PSG or Real Madrid come knocking after the World cup. He owners wants to keep him.

[JollyGood]

If Anderson deal goes through, Enzo Fernandez is likely going to stay at Chelsea - except PSG or Real Madrid come knocking after the World cup. He owners wants to keep him.

The way Enzo was playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final demonstrated how much the team need him. He wanted to show people how much he wanted to win the FA Cup and how he felt about Chelsea. Now just a couple of months later and the picture is looking very different because he is being linked to Real Madrid.

The owners might want to keep him but if Enzo (or any other player) wants to leave, there is nothing they can do to stop any player forcing a transfer through.

And btw, where's Ige..?

Whale.io 🐳 | ⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026: Tournament Discussion Thread 

[tokeweed]

How long do you guys think will all the negotiations between Man City and Chelsea is gonna take?  Can't wait for this upcoming season's manager line up. 

But I'm especially excited for Liverpool.  I guess their new manager is playing his squads in a new way of the gegenpress just like how managers like Guardiola evolved and plays a new way of positional football.

It's between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea - he resigned from a long term contract so he expected to pay compensation to Chelsea for breach of contract. Both lawyers are in negotiations according to reports.

If you get sacked, you get compensation but if you resigned, you pay compensation to the club for wasting their time.

But didn't the club and the manager parted ways with mutual consent?  Doesn't that negate the demands of both getting sacked and resigning?

I think that's where the issue is...  And when Chelsea saw that a rich club is willing to get Maresca in, they were prolly saying 'hey let's get some cheddar cheese'.  Lolol.