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2025-26 Premier League Thread

Going to miss being at the pub for Friday's Villa match. 🤦 Grandparents' Visiting Day on Friday till match time, then usually take the granddaughters to lunch afterwards
 
The Athletic is reporting that Man U are preparing to offer Michael Carrick a 2 year contract with an option for a 3rd year to remain as head coach. The entire back room staff will also be offered extensions.
 
Honestly … why not? I was skeptical but they’ve played well for Carrick and they finally kind of play the same way every game. For a long time you just had absolutely no idea what to expect when you saw United on your team’s schedule.
 
Makes sense, and smart to not make it that long of a contract. He's done a great job with this team, but there's a huge question next season when they will have significantly more fixtures than this season and how he deals with that. There is obviously a stupid amount of talent on the squad and he basically simplified things and let players actually do things they are good at rather than trying to force them into his system.

I could very well see them struggling again next season when they have to deal with fixture congestion and I am looking forward to that possibility!
 
Putting up that performance despite, and I'm going to be generous, getting an extra advantage from the officials is embarrassing. Liverpool had a lot of distractions this year, one big one that obviously is no ones fault and then a bunch more that were entirely the front office's fault and the squad was never able to overcome them and I don't know if I'd put that blame on any single person.

I would try to reshape the identity over the summer a little and give Slot another year that hopefully doesn't start with pure chaos before writing him off.
 
Chelsea has reached agreement with Xabi Alonso on a 4 year deal as manager. He was fired by Real Madirdi in January after 7 months in charge after losing the Supercopa de España final to Barcelona. He won 24 of his 34 matches in charge. He had previously managed Bayer Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal and Europa League runner-up in 2023-24.
 
He most certainly will have more of a say than his predecessors, otherwise there's no way he would agree to the deal considering his market value and his most recent experience at Real Madrid. As weird as it is to say, based on the fickleness of the ownership, I do think that this is a much smarter move for him than Liverpool. Obviously Chelsea need a veteran CB in the worst way, but since he will have more say in transfers than previous managers, he should be able to get one and there is so much young talent that will be much more receptive to his ideas than say, Vini Jr.

Liverpool is in the middle of an obvious transition period with TAA leaving last year and Salah this year. The other key people from the previous era, Van Dyke and Alisson are starting to look a little old in the tooth and Alisson gets a bigger list of injuries each year and Mamardashvili not looking so hot at least so far as his replacement. Konate just isn't that good as the other CB and definitely hasn't shown he can step up and pick up the slack for van Dyke. I do think that Isak after what will hopefully be a normal summer, will be a better player next season (hard to be worse), but you still have two expensive strikers you just signed and we are long past the 4-4-2 era.
 
VinatieriDefinesClutch said:
He most certainly will have more of a say than his predecessors, otherwise there's no way he would agree to the deal considering his market value and his most recent experience at Real Madrid. As weird as it is to say, based on the fickleness of the ownership, I do think that this is a much smarter move for him than Liverpool. Obviously Chelsea need a veteran CB in the worst way, but since he will have more say in transfers than previous managers, he should be able to get one and there is so much young talent that will be much more receptive to his ideas than say, Vini Jr.

Liverpool is in the middle of an obvious transition period with TAA leaving last year and Salah this year. The other key people from the previous era, Van Dyke and Alisson are starting to look a little old in the tooth and Alisson gets a bigger list of injuries each year and Mamardashvili not looking so hot at least so far as his replacement. Konate just isn't that good as the other CB and definitely hasn't shown he can step up and pick up the slack for van Dyke. I do think that Isak after what will hopefully be a normal summer, will be a better player next season (hard to be worse), but you still have two expensive strikers you just signed and we are long past the 4-4-2 era.
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It’s notable that Alonso was named Manager and not head coach. He’ll have a huge say in summer recruitment.
 
I mean, if you’re open to taking some short term criticism and humiliation, that Chelsea job is a freaking ATM for managers. You sacrifice a season, get a huge paycheck for 3 years and then go get a job with a sane club after they sack you for not finding a way to integrate that 12th winger they signed 20 minutes before the window closed without asking you … or scouting the guy. Everybody else in football knows whatever happened wasn’t your fault.
 
West Ham was pushed to the brink with a loss to Newcastle. If Spurs get a point in either of their last 2 matches, West Ham is relegated for the first time since 2011.
 
jeffbear said:
I mean, if you’re open to taking some short term criticism and humiliation, that Chelsea job is a freaking ATM for managers. You sacrifice a season, get a huge paycheck for 3 years and then go get a job with a sane club after they sack you for not finding a way to integrate that 12th winger they signed 20 minutes before the window closed without asking you … or scouting the guy. Everybody else in football knows whatever happened wasn’t your fault.
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I have to assume that he's been given assurances that previous managers haven't. I just can't see him not getting a greater degree of control and input considering his status as still the most desired young manager and the experience that he just had at Madrid. If he wanted to wait until the summer, he would be top choice for most open jobs so he has no need to rush to accept this position if it didn't feel right.

Unfortunately, I actually think hes going to be really successful there. It's kind of forgotten, but he was successful in both results and getting his ideas onto the pitch before Vini decided he was going to be a giant baby and ownership sided with him.
 
Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell, and I’m skeptical that the corporate pukes will stay hands off. I could be blinded by the fact that I’d love to see Chelsea stay mired in the middle of the table, especially now that Man United seem to be finding their feet. Anything to bust up the “Big 4,5,6” and finish off a churning at the top of the table. Tottenham has done their part … lol
 
I honestly think it's more likely that United finish mid table next year than Chelsea do. I could easily see them struggling next season having to juggle a lot more fixtures. Last time they made the Champions League, they dropped down to eighth which was actually an over-performance based on underlying numbers and the fact that they were kind of crap. I don't think one year making the champions league means they are back to being a perennial top of the table team.
 
Pep Guardiola will leave Man City after the season. His contract runs until after next season but he’s leaving after an even 10 years in charge. Man City won 20 trophies with him in charge including a Cup double this year with a chance for a treble.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to take over. He was negotiating with City as early as last October and again in December while he was still at Chelsea.
 
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