⚽ Premier League 2026/2027 Discussion Thread ⚽

[BIT-BENDER]

If Cristiano Ronaldo is still at Manchester United, I believe they will claim he is the reason why the club is not playing at their best. They would even criticise him that other players refused to play at their best because of him, but look at what we continue to get from this club since Ronaldo returned about 4 years ago. Manchester United performance have remain the same. Manchester United fans are tired of watching this team play so poor this year.

Manchester United squad is full of average players, they should sell all the players and bring in new ones to build the team. Manchester United are acting as if they don’t have the money to buy quality players. Even Bruno and other players whose contract will expire at the end of the season should leave the club, they should not offer them a new contract.

They couldn’t beat Tottenham at home even with a red card. The same thing happened at home against Manchester City, I wonder if we can consider the next away game against Leeds a defeat because I don’t think they can beat Leeds United.

There is no way a 42 year old would be at a top professional team like Manchester United, and if somehow this very Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for Manchester United obviously the situation would be worse because it would be like playing a man down no disrespect to Ronaldo but physically he can't cope in the English premier League or any top league at this age.
I agree with you that Manchester United has a squad problem although a player like Rashford who went to Barcelona and played decent goes back to Manchester United and drops form again I think there is a lot.

[uchegod-21]

EPL

• Man United vs Spurs 1-1
• Fulham vs Man United 1-1
• Man United vs Man City 0-1
• Everton vs Man United 2-2
• Man United vs Ipswich 5-2
• Hull City vs Man United 2-0

EFL Cup

• Man United vs Brighton 2-3

UCL

• Man United vs Sabah 4-0
• Atletico vs Man United 2-0

Across all competitions, Man United have managed only two wins, with the rest ending in draws or losses. So, what can we really expect from MU? And will their upcoming match against Leeds also end in a draw, or will they even lose?

What a poor run for Manchester city!
Without statistics, I didn't know it was this bad for Manchester United.  Managing to win only 2 matches out of 10 for Manchester United is a disappointing stat. But what is actually wrong with Manchester United?

Like, why didn't Carrick continue with the squad that gave him unbeating run when he first took the job. Is his problem his inability to replace Casimero?

I had thought that Manchester United has got it right with coach this time around. Should we blame the Manchester United management for not releasing enough funds for the coach that qualified them for the champions league? Manchester United should have bought more quality players to maintain the new stage they found themselves. It's a pity.

Conte replacing Carrick is purely a rumour and will end as a rumour. Manchester United should support Carrick, I love his football but I didn't like his idea of returning Rashford.

[Agathamay]

There is no way a 42 year old would be at a top professional team like Manchester United, and if somehow this very Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for Manchester United obviously the situation would be worse because it would be like playing a man down no disrespect to Ronaldo but physically he can't cope in the English premier League or any top league at this age.
I agree with you that Manchester United has a squad problem although a player like Rashford who went to Barcelona and played decent goes back to Manchester United and drops form again I think there is a lot.

Cristiano Ronaldo was a superb and outstanding player in Manchester United although he had his issues with the manager, Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo is this kind o player that he will always talk his mind, he wouldn't tolerate things he dislike. Ronaldo is a commanding player and he speaks his mind freely and he's this type of player that plays football with passion.

Manchester United are in ruins this season, mere looking at their performance, they're not just doing well and losing games back to back. Manchester United need to do better because that's how to stay on top, Michael Carrick will ensure his players track back and win games.

[Primark]

~snip~

Across all competitions, Man United have managed only two wins, with the rest ending in draws or losses. So, what can we really expect from MU? And will their upcoming match against Leeds also end in a draw, or will they even lose?

Winning only 2 games in all competitions shows that Manchester United has not really made any improvements as we thought they did last season. They created an impression that they are now a strong team and with how they were winning matches back to back we were expecting that they will even be among the title contenders but they gave their fans a false hope. Leeds has a very solid attack, I doubt if Manchester United can win Leeds.

Leeds is currently at 7th position and they only lost one match which was against Arsenal, they cannot lose 2 straight matches. They are ahead of Manchester United and the fact that they will be playing from home is another advantage for them. We saw how they gave Arsenal a tough match how much more Manchester United.

Yes I agree Manchester United have had 2 wins in the first 8 games of the season and it's not exactly a good start, particularly after how they turned things around last season. But I wouldn't say that they haven't gotten better under Carrick. Under Carrick, United finished third in the Premier League last season and even made the Champions League last season. So it's not like his system is completely dysfunctional.

I believe the main challenge that I'm seeing this season is the lack of squad depth and recruitment. Despite United's massive spending, there is still a lack of balance to their squad in several areas.

[KingsDen]

when we everyone start to accept the fact that Xabi Alonso will succeed at Stamford Bridge? When? Chelsea are on another transformation under Xabi Alonso and they've been very best at goal scoring, they're very best to enchanced their performance and become the top team they are today. Chelsea doesn't need 20 or 10minutes to score you, they just need minimum of 1 minutes and maximum of 3 minutes to score their oppositions.

We all saw what they did against Bournemouth, how they pressed and kept pressing until they score goals in the early minutes of the game. Chelsea are absolutely stunning and I don't see them below average this season, they're skyrocketing and becoming a very important contender for the EPL title this season.

Chelsea attack has been consistent this season without doubt, but be aware that only scoring of goals can't win the title, they can score as many goals as they want, but without consistency in defence they are going nowhere.

Isn't it early to start judging already, I mean, only 6 games have been played so far and they didn't perform that outstanding from the start. I'm not trying to say Xabi Alonso will not succeed, what am saying is that it's too early to start judging, atleast we should watch and see how he performs in his next 5 games, maybe then we can judgeg. Chelsea was impressive against Bournemouth, but they still need to work on their defense, they certainly can't contest for the title with such a leggy defence.

[Umulala-alala]

~snip~

Across all competitions, Man United have managed only two wins, with the rest ending in draws or losses. So, what can we really expect from MU? And will their upcoming match against Leeds also end in a draw, or will they even lose?

Winning only 2 games in all competitions shows that Manchester United has not really made any improvements as we thought they did last season. They created an impression that they are now a strong team and with how they were winning matches back to back we were expecting that they will even be among the title contenders but they gave their fans a false hope. Leeds has a very solid attack, I doubt if Manchester United can win Leeds.

Leeds is currently at 7th position and they only lost one match which was against Arsenal, they cannot lose 2 straight matches. They are ahead of Manchester United and the fact that they will be playing from home is another advantage for them. We saw how they gave Arsenal a tough match how much more Manchester United.

Yes I agree Manchester United have had 2 wins in the first 8 games of the season and it's not exactly a good start, particularly after how they turned things around last season. But I wouldn't say that they haven't gotten better under Carrick. Under Carrick, United finished third in the Premier League last season and even made the Champions League last season. So it's not like his system is completely dysfunctional.

I believe the main challenge that I'm seeing this season is the lack of squad depth and recruitment. Despite United's massive spending, there is still a lack of balance to their squad in several areas.

This season Man united hasn't gotten any better under carrick but he actually did well last season, 2 win in 8 matches is very poor for a club like Man united. Man united are supposed to be one of the best club in the league now base how they have perform last season because they won almost every club they played under carrick including other top clubs in the premier league but i can't tell what wrong with Man united this very season, they should sit up.

[Miles2006]

The new manager bounce worked when he took over mid season on a temporary basis but now he’s permanent manager the bounce has gone and they are reverting to the mean.

Maybe Man United should change their manager in the middle of every season  or just get a new manager every season, even if the previous one did a good job.

Fair enough, Manchester United should think of implementing this strategy but on a different note this pattern will only set the club backward because whenever a coach is change definitely the new one needs time to find balance. This plan was totally different for Carrick, when Manchester United signed him newly he did a great job immediately, while other managers might be different from Carrick meaning some new managers will need time to start winning so obviously the team will always stay backward. I was discussing with a friend, he said as a Manchester United fan he never wanted the club to resign Carrick, like he knew what will happen well the season is still early besides they just need a little encouragement.

[Nwadiche]

Fair enough, Manchester United should think of implementing this strategy but on a different note this pattern will only set the club backward because whenever a coach is change definitely the new one needs time to find balance. This plan was totally different for Carrick, when Manchester United signed him newly he did a great job immediately, while other managers might be different from Carrick meaning some new managers will need time to start winning so obviously the team will always stay backward. I was discussing with a friend, he said as a Manchester United fan he never wanted the club to resign Carrick, like he knew what will happen well the season is still early besides they just need a little encouragement.

The problem with most clubs today is they just want fast results from a manager that just signed contracts with a club. Mostly the fans to the clubs always criticised managers ones he lose any match, but i think is not fair with such reactions coming from club owners and their fans. We all knew how man utd struggle under Ruben Amorin before he was sacked  which Carrick took over from him, Carrick brought man from relegation zone qualify man utd to champions league that they're playing today. If his not doing well this season i think the club and fans should allow him fix the problem, because i believe right now he'll be thinking of solving the problem because if he fails definitely he'll be sacked, so they should give him more time. If Arteta was sacked since maybe Arsenal won't have be this form they're today, let every clubs give managers time to figure out the problem of the his team.

[Mansoveh]

Chelsea consistency is highly questionable currently. They are my team and we have improved especially in our attacking prowess but still lacking in our back and our midfield is really lacking and causing much issues but we need to find a way to manage all these and stay consistent, holding every necessary points that we can get before the transfer window open again for squad strengthening.

Chelsea improvement have been noticeable to me mostly in attack, and their consistency as you have said is highly questionable and I think it requires more than just scoring goal, but the midfield needs to control games better, while the defence must become more strong and avoid unnecessary mistake that could lead to another thing and I still believe in them and the team has enough quality to compete achieve greatness this season thats if the players can stay more focused and reduce unnecessary errors, and they also need to work on them selves more rather than depend entirely on new signings, the blues 💙 for life.

Chelsea is like a promising team in the league, Chelsea attackers always give their 100% performance in any game. The midfield look very unstable, signing a new midfielder should be their priority in the next transfer. Everton is very strong in home games, my betting on this game will go for Chelsea to win and the both teams to score. Chelsea defence will definitely concede a goal in this match.

Alonso is doing a great job, it is not easy to improve this team using their current squad. The fans have a good expectation from him so far, he should deliver as the club expects him.

[ndutndut]

Chelsea attack has been consistent this season without doubt, but be aware that only scoring of goals can't win the title, they can score as many goals as they want, but without consistency in defence they are going nowhere.

Isn't it early to start judging already, I mean, only 6 games have been played so far and they didn't perform that outstanding from the start. I'm not trying to say Xabi Alonso will not succeed, what am saying is that it's too early to start judging, atleast we should watch and see how he performs in his next 5 games, maybe then we can judgeg. Chelsea was impressive against Bournemouth, but they still need to work on their defense, they certainly can't contest for the title with such a leggy defence.

What you said isn't wrong. To win the championship, every team has to have a solid defense because just scoring goals isn't enough. Besides, what's the point of scoring a lot if they also concede easily? Last season, Arsenal wasn't very productive in scoring goals they even often scored from set pieces, but Arsenal had a strong defense and that's why they were able to win the title.

So Alanso still has a lot of work at Chelsea if they want to compete for the EPL trophy, especially since this season their schedule isn't as packed as their rivals'. But Alanso needs to strengthen the defense to make it stronger and more solid. For building attacks, Alonso's strategy seems to be going well especially since he focuses on making the team more aggressive in the early stages of each match to score quick goals, and after that they'll try to maintain their lead. So when facing tough opponents if the defense hasn't been fixed yet Chelsea will have a hard time securing victories.

[Nwadiche]

Chelsea is like a promising team in the league, Chelsea attackers always give their 100% performance in any game. The midfield look very unstable, signing a new midfielder should be their priority in the next transfer. Everton is very strong in home games, my betting on this game will go for Chelsea to win and the both teams to score. Chelsea defence will definitely concede a goal in this match.

Alonso is doing a great job, it is not easy to improve this team using their current squad. The fans have a good expectation from him so far, he should deliver as the club expects him.

Chelsea front three are the best attackers right now in Premier League, what really pist me off right now is that Chelsea are not playing champions league this season. Seriously football lovers are really missing Chelsea right now, the most funny part is the songs Chelsea fans used to sing to their opponent's when playing matches always got other fans angry. Imagine if Chelsea where're playing Champions league with this their fast goals scoring in first of their matches, their champions league matches would be so fun. Their most problem right now is their defence,  now that caicedo is back i think the midfield will be somehow okay for now because we've since his performance and Chelsea just managed to concede one goals compared to other matches that he was around. I believe by next transfer Alonso will add more midfielders and defenders too.

[9ja Amaka]

I can agree that Chelsea did well against Bournemouth previously, but Bournemouth isn't a true test of a team's ability since they've been generally in a poor form, so even struggling teams can win them as well, although it's worthy of note that no Chelsea player had a yellow card in the match, depicting their discipline and showing they were under little or no pressure.

They'll have another chance to prove their efficiency tomorrow against Everton. Everton has been in better form this season and they're deadly when playing from home. Let's see how well Chelsea improved by 17:00 tomorrow. I'm more confident in their midfield with Caicedo's return. Everton would test their defence properly, I hope they pass the test.

when we everyone start to accept the fact that Xabi Alonso will succeed at Stamford Bridge? When? Chelsea are on another transformation under Xabi Alonso and they've been very best at goal scoring, they're very best to enchanced their performance and become the top team they are today. Chelsea doesn't need 20 or 10minutes to score you, they just need minimum of 1 minutes and maximum of 3 minutes to score their oppositions.

We all saw what they did against Bournemouth, how they pressed and kept pressing until they score goals in the early minutes of the game. Chelsea are absolutely stunning and I don't see them below average this season, they're skyrocketing and becoming a very important contender for the EPL title this season.

Manchester City scored the most goals last season without winning the league. Aside from the Premier League, Manchester City won the other two domestic trophies. If scoring goals will make a team successful, Chelsea won't be the first team to be successful. In other seasons, Arsenal had the most goals and weren't successful. It is defense that wins you the title, not attack. If you can't score and protect those goals, then scoring is meaningless. In less than 8 games this season, Chelsea has conceded close to 30 goals. That's a lot of goals for a team that wants to win the Premier League.

[Stormisover]

If Cristiano Ronaldo is still at Manchester United, I believe they will claim he is the reason why the club is not playing at their best. They would even criticise him that other players refused to play at their best because of him, but look at what we continue to get from this club since Ronaldo returned about 4 years ago. Manchester United performance have remain the same. Manchester United fans are tired of watching this team play so poor this year.

Manchester United squad is full of average players, they should sell all the players and bring in new ones to build the team. Manchester United are acting as if they don’t have the money to buy quality players. Even Bruno and other players whose contract will expire at the end of the season should leave the club, they should not offer them a new contract.

They couldn’t beat Tottenham at home even with a red card. The same thing happened at home against Manchester City, I wonder if we can consider the next away game against Leeds a defeat because I don’t think they can beat Leeds United.

There is no way a 42 year old would be at a top professional team like Manchester United, and if somehow this very Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for Manchester United obviously the situation would be worse because it would be like playing a man down no disrespect to Ronaldo but physically he can't cope in the English premier League or any top league at this age.
I agree with you that Manchester United has a squad problem although a player like Rashford who went to Barcelona and played decent goes back to Manchester United and drops form again I think there is a lot.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for his current team right now, and his doing absolutely well, he still score impossible goals, he still do link up play, he still run for ball, now what actually made you believe he can't perform in any of the European top leagues? Unless you don't watch him anymore, that's why you are saying all this, note as it stands now, if Manchester United should face Al Nasarr on a match today, trust me Manchester United can't win them, so what exactly made you believe he can't perform anymore?

[ASloveapg]

Yes I agree Manchester United have had 2 wins in the first 8 games of the season and it's not exactly a good start, particularly after how they turned things around last season. But I wouldn't say that they haven't gotten better under Carrick. Under Carrick, United finished third in the Premier League last season and even made the Champions League last season. So it's not like his system is completely dysfunctional.

I believe the main challenge that I'm seeing this season is the lack of squad depth and recruitment. Despite United's massive spending, there is still a lack of balance to their squad in several areas.

This season Man united hasn't gotten any better under carrick but he actually did well last season, 2 win in 8 matches is very poor for a club like Man united. Man united are supposed to be one of the best club in the league now base how they have perform last season because they won almost every club they played under carrick including other top clubs in the premier league but i can't tell what wrong with Man united this very season, they should sit up.

This season started with a 2-0 defeat to a new club like Hull City by a team like Manchester United. The performance is currently very bad, their performance is so bad that they can't score a goal even if they take advantage of the opponent's red card, they have no wins in their last 5 matches, they won the first match of the Champions League but lost the second match, and only 1 win in 6 matches in the Premier League. They don't think they can win their next match either, Leeds United is quite strong, and comparing Manchester United's current form with it, it doesn't seem like Manchester United can win the match. Because Leeds United's defense is very strong, they have only conceded 5 goals in 6 matches, while teams like Manchester City and Arsenal have also conceded 5 goals in these 6 matches, meaning it is very difficult to score goals against them, and so i doesn't think Manchester United will win against them.

[len01]

What a poor run for Manchester city!

Hold your horses  I think you mean Man United.

But what is actually wrong with Manchester United?

If you're wondering what's wrong with Man United, just look back at their glory days. Back then, United focused on building a solid foundation in every position and had a clear direction. Now compare that to the United we see today.

Like, why didn't Carrick continue with the squad that gave him unbeating run when he first took the job. Is his problem his inability to replace Casimero?

It's not about being unable to find a replacement for Casemiro. The problem is that Carrick is under pressure to deliver good results after the start of the season, and indirectly, all the players are under that same pressure too. And you know the negative effects that kind of pressure can have on both the manager and the players.

Should we blame the Manchester United management for not releasing enough funds for the coach that qualified them for the champions league? Manchester United should have bought more quality players to maintain the new stage they found themselves.

Of course, the management deserves some of the blame too. Just look at how other top clubs are willing to spend huge amounts of money to sign quality players with reliable talent and skills. But with United, it feels like the management puts a limit on how much they can spend, forcing the manager to look for quality players at lower prices. In the end, Carrick doesn't have many options and has to settle for players who lack experience.

[Versatile_choice]

Manchester United are in ruins this season, mere looking at their performance, they're not just doing well and losing games back to back. Manchester United need to do better because that's how to stay on top, Michael Carrick will ensure his players track back and win games.

And when is he going to bring back that wining mentality? I was actually thinking that he would create something different after the international break, but it is as if nothing has changed the draw they had against tottenham was so annoying I never anticipate that because tottenham was literally playing with 9 players and yet it was as if they are not shorten any player.the funnest part is tottenham took the red card and still made an equalizer when they are supposed to double the goal for tottenham because they literally had the advantage to score more goals, but they couldn't. Who knows what would have happened if they were giving more time to play. I just hope manchester united will wake up from this sleep soon before it gets late.

[Solodoski]

There is no way a 42 year old would be at a top professional team like Manchester United, and if somehow this very Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for Manchester United obviously the situation would be worse because it would be like playing a man down no disrespect to Ronaldo but physically he can't cope in the English premier League or any top league at this age.
I agree with you that Manchester United has a squad problem although a player like Rashford who went to Barcelona and played decent goes back to Manchester United and drops form again I think there is a lot.

Why would anyone be considering Christiano Ronaldo at Manchester United at this point of his career. No disrespect to him, but he is no longer at the level to play for Manchester United.  I think Manchester United has a lot of problem, especially from the management, because they are not investing in the team. They just bring in average players and expect the manager to work magic, it does not work that way. Michael Carrick did a good job last season after taking charge of the team, so I was expecting the board to back him, so he can get good players,  but they did not, so I strongly believe that Manchester United issues is from the board and not the manager.

[Abbatty]

There is no way a 42 year old would be at a top professional team like Manchester United, and if somehow this very Cristiano Ronaldo is a starter for Manchester United obviously the situation would be worse because it would be like playing a man down no disrespect to Ronaldo but physically he can't cope in the English premier League or any top league at this age.
I agree with you that Manchester United has a squad problem although a player like Rashford who went to Barcelona and played decent goes back to Manchester United and drops form again I think there is a lot.

Why would anyone be considering Christiano Ronaldo at Manchester United at this point of his career. No disrespect to him, but he is no longer at the level to play for Manchester United.  I think Manchester United has a lot of problem, especially from the management, because they are not investing in the team. They just bring in average players and expect the manager to work magic, it does not work that way. Michael Carrick did a good job last season after taking charge of the team, so I was expecting the board to back him, so he can get good players,  but they did not, so I strongly believe that Manchester United issues is from the board and not the manager.

I don’t think Ronaldo will survive in the top 5 league in Europe at this age, he just can’t cope with the intensity. Now imagine him playing in the premier league and the champions league weeks in, weeks out. Even in the Saudi league, we can see how he struggles to track back and help the team most times. He still have a good goal scoring instinct but the premier league needs more than that.

We can see players in the early 30s struggling to play in the premier league. Manchester United problems lys more than brining in just one player, they need a total change in the approach in building a good team.

[Ruttoshi]

This season started with a 2-0 defeat to a new club like Hull City by a team like Manchester United. The performance is currently very bad, their performance is so bad that they can't score a goal even if they take advantage of the opponent's red card, they have no wins in their last 5 matches, they won the first match of the Champions League but lost the second match, and only 1 win in 6 matches in the Premier League. They don't think they can win their next match either, Leeds United is quite strong, and comparing Manchester United's current form with it, it doesn't seem like Manchester United can win the match. Because Leeds United's defense is very strong, they have only conceded 5 goals in 6 matches, while teams like Manchester City and Arsenal have also conceded 5 goals in these 6 matches, meaning it is very difficult to score goals against them, and so i doesn't think Manchester United will win against them.

It's not that I don't like Manchester United but from the look of their current performance, they're like a bonus points to any club that clashes with them except Arsenal and Chelsea because no matter how poor United performance is, they used to be very strong when they clash with any of these two teams.

It was from their lost to Hull City that I knew, they would find it difficult to win their upcoming matches. Lee's United will definitely win or draw the game.

[Amphenomenon]

This season started with a 2-0 defeat to a new club like Hull City by a team like Manchester United. The performance is currently very bad, their performance is so bad that they can't score a goal even if they take advantage of the opponent's red card, they have no wins in their last 5 matches, they won the first match of the Champions League but lost the second match, and only 1 win in 6 matches in the Premier League. They don't think they can win their next match either, Leeds United is quite strong, and comparing Manchester United's current form with it, it doesn't seem like Manchester United can win the match. Because Leeds United's defense is very strong, they have only conceded 5 goals in 6 matches, while teams like Manchester City and Arsenal have also conceded 5 goals in these 6 matches, meaning it is very difficult to score goals against them, and so i doesn't think Manchester United will win against them.

It's not that I don't like Manchester United but from the look of their current performance, they're like a bonus points to any club that clashes with them except Arsenal and Chelsea because no matter how poor United performance is, they used to be very strong when they clash with any of these two teams.

It was from their lost to Hull City that I knew, they would find it difficult to win their upcoming matches. Lee's United will definitely win or draw the game.

Manchester United are not a bonus point, taking them in such light will definitely put any club in a disadvantage because United is not entirely terrible but rather so much unstable and now we can add them as a lower team sometimes but not always the case.

Leeds can be a solid team but I feel any team can come out victor here, do not underestimate or write off United,  thry are only just too inconsistent to be taken seriously.