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There's more to life than the EPL, fitba is back, 2025/26 season.

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Posted by: binners

Romero’s charm offensive continues. He’s covered himself in glory in the last week already and I’m sure getting himself sent off after 20 minutes and a 4 match suspension will further endeer him to everyone. And he’s the club captain. 

The guy is a psycho and a liability. I was shocked when they said he'd been sent off 6 times in his Spurs career - I honestly thought it'd be double that. Lovely to see them getting sucked down though to make the fight at the bottom a bit more interesting.

 


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 9:37 am
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Posted by: dander

When Liverpool’s form dips? They’ve won five league games out of the last twenty - if it dips anymore they’ll be duelling with Spurs for 16th. 

Thats staggering. What was it, £300m spent in the summer to go backwards at quite an alarming/hilarious rate. That said, Wirtz is starting to look like an actual footballer in the last 5 or 6 games.

Still trying to get my head around the end of that game yesterday. So the Cherki goal was disallowed for a foul on Haaland which meant he couldn't get to it and tap it in, even though it went in anyway and Szobosali or however you spell it was sent off for the foul which resulted in a goal anyway and then the goal was disallowed? Just let the goal stand and don't send anyone off. 

 


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 9:42 am
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Have said it many, many times so far this season, City are winning the league and they will have it wrapped up before the last game.

They just know how to win. We don't.


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 1:22 pm
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Still trying to get my head around the end of that game yesterday. So the Cherki goal was disallowed for a foul on Haaland which meant he couldn't get to it and tap it in,

No, it was disallowed because Haaland fouled Szoboszlai and prevented him from clearing it. That is a simple fact that can't be avoided.

However....

Szoboszlai was only in a position to clear it because he'd pulled Haaland back earlier, for which the referee played advantage.

Under new interpretations (3-4 years old, but new-ish) he then at least had chance to say that the advantage he'd allowed didn't actually materialise, and thus go back for that offence. Old rules, advantage is instant and he couldn't even have done that, would have been a freekick to Liverpool.

 

You can't ignore the Haaland foul, even though that's against natural justice. Imagine both players had fairly tangled for the ball, both fallen to the ground, and then Haaland just punched the ball over the line. Can you turn a blind eye to that? What if in response to Szoboszlai pulling Haaland back, he'd stopped and wrestled Szoboszlai down on the edge of the box to prevent him chasing back at all?


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 1:55 pm
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I think that is a situation that you just can't write rules that would allow "natural justice". I have never seen a situation quite like that, but if you have a rule something like a "penalty try" in rugby where both the foul and the goal is given, then there are going to be 10 times as many borderline cases as there are clear cut cases, and it would just make the officiating an even bigger mess


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 2:14 pm
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Szoboszlai prevented a virtually certain goal, he wasn't winning the foot race and Haaland's first touch of the ball would have helped it into the net.

I'm not sure there was an advantage to play, the foul put Szoboszlai then in pole position to clear. The split-second nature of the decision (without the benefit of an overhead view) put the ref in a no-win situation. Even if he had instantly blown for a free kick and sent Szoboszlai off, Haaland would have been fuming because he probably would have believed he could have scored in that moment.

Just one of those things, ref did as well as he could.


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 5:22 pm
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I'm not sure there was an advantage to play

Under old rules, I'd agree. Under new rules there was because although it put Szoboszlai into pole position, it was not a certainty and there was still a possibility that he wasn't going to be able to clear it, so see how it pans out and then if indeed he does clear it, call play back for no advantage and take action.

 

No point keep going over that, but there are a few if, buts and maybes that are worth considering.

 

I myself am not sure of this one - but DOGSO is a straight red card. Pulling an opponent back is supposed to be a yellow card but increasingly we are seeing minor infringements not being carded (or even the foul ignored, not helped by players going down as if shot). I can't remember if red card offences are advised to not have advantage played on - certainly when i reffed the advice was to always stop play for a red card offence even if an advantage is happening because most often it causes a flashpoint and if you don't deal with the offence until later (and like a yellow you can go back for it) you might find a bigger issue than the anger caused by loss of advantage. That said, a red card for DOGSO, particularly for a technical foul like holding or handball is less likely to cause a melee than someone getting a red card for violent conduct so maybe an advantage on red card there may be more permissible, but if the goal is then scored can you really argue they denied the GSO, because - well you might have reduced the chance of a GSO but clearly didn't deny it!

Secondly - having played advantage, Haaland then pulled his opponent back which is a yellow card offence. I think Haaland had been booked already, if you'd allowed natural justice and given the goal do you give them both a yellow for their holding fouls - that would have got all bemused. But he definitely committed a foul that should be sanctioned with a caution.... except by pulling play back to the original offence the ball wasn't in play so the offence isn't an offence. But you can commit some offences when the ball is out of play including violent conduct....

All told ref and VAR made best of a whole load of potential traps there


 
Posted : 09/02/2026 6:38 pm
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I’m no fan of Pawson but given the set of offences and penalties which almost read like a ref’s exam question I think he got the to the right answers.


 
Posted : 10/02/2026 6:24 pm
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Hair cut boy is on a knife edge!


 
Posted : 10/02/2026 11:07 pm
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Interesting set of results tonight. Leeds coming back from 2-0 down to draw, despite giving Chelsea the most ridiculous penalty. Great result from Newcastle beating Spurs 2-1 who are now below Leeds in the lower reaches of the table. And from a Leeds point of view a big thanks to ManU and Sesko's fantastic late goal to deny West Ham a win.


 
Posted : 10/02/2026 11:28 pm
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I'd have been delighted with a point before the game but it's hard to take having got so close. Still, a much improved performance and the Hammers at least have a chance of survival. I reckon it might need a record points total this season.


 
Posted : 10/02/2026 11:31 pm
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New manager bounce for Spuds incoming.


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:19 am
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They’ve got Arsenal next game so maybe not.

What they need is a former club legend player to come back in and lead a glorious renaissance 

Glenn Hoddle? 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:22 am
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In at the deep end then, though it’s a week and a half until the next game, plenty of time to appoint someone else? I don’t sense there’s a plan though, aside from Thomas Frank not being the one. Maybe copy United and get an ex player in as a caretaker with the Spurs DNA, whatever that is. 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:25 am
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Has De Zerbi's availability given them a reason to act now?

I think pretty much everyone thought Frank was a good appointment when he was announced, probably goes to show how well run Brentford are.


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:34 am
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Gazza? 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:43 am
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It’s laudable they gave him the opportunity with the job he’d done at Brentford, but his more direct style meant the fans would be quick to criticise him for not playing the Spurs way as soon as results went south, which was quickly. 

Good shout Binners, I was thinking Klinnsman! 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:52 am
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probably goes to show how well run Brentford are.

There's a 2nd tier of PL manager - I'd have David Moyes as the archetype, also people like maybe Thomas Frank, and i suspect Graham Potter will end up recognised as such - great at implementing a system. Very good at taking a decent group of players and getting them playing above their level. Maybe also Emery?

But walking into a megaclub and whipping into shape a dozen egomanic 21 year olds who are richer than god and convinced they're also smarter than Him is just a totally different skill set. As the above 3 found out. 

Be intrigued to see how Araola shapes up in a few years time. He could be either, at the moment.

 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 12:29 pm
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Posted by: doris5000

Very good at taking a decent group of players and getting them playing above their level.

Maybe the kind of manager England need.

I like Frank as a person, he seemed to do a great job at Brentford, but maybe not ruthless enough for a wannabe big club


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 1:32 pm
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I wouldn’t fancy managing a squad of players with Romero as captain and containing such little rays of sunshine as Richarleson. Discipline is hardly their strong point. 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 2:38 pm
 kilo
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But walking into a megaclub...

 

What about Spurs though?


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 2:45 pm
geck0, binners and Cletus reacted
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Heh. I did hesitate at that point!


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 3:41 pm
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Depending on who they get in, the scrap for that 17th spot could get really brutal

Lets be honest, seeing that incredible stadium hosting championship games next season would be the funniest thing ever! 

#bigsix


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 6:58 pm
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And we have another interesting night tonight – Brighton and Crystal Palace could end the night right in the mix towards the bottom and current form for both isn't great, so they might start getting very nervous. And Forest – a bad result for them will leave them in deep water, given West Ham's current form.


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 7:38 pm
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Talking of problematic club ownership, the Monaco-based billionaire whose team is mainly economic migrants...weighs in on immigration.

https://bsky.app/profile/news.sky.com/post/3melxcvs6oe2q

Such an endearing chap. And he says Nigel is a lovely, well-intentioned fella.


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 10:33 pm
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It's getting really interesting north of the border.  Rangers lucky to get a point tonight and Celtic only just beat bottom of the table Livvy.  Can Hearts hang on?


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:20 pm
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I see that Ratcliffe has covered himself in glory again:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckglv1n4dzeo


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:20 pm
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Worse than the Glazers!

Quite the achievement. 


 
Posted : 11/02/2026 11:57 pm
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I can't wait for the summer and the launch of their new Go Home kit.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 12:04 am
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I particularly loved his statement…“You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits”

And how many hundreds of people have you made redundant since you arrived at Old Trafford then Jim?

All while losing hundreds of millions with your catastrophic transfer policies and your own stupidity.

Beryl in the canteen, who’s been there for 30 years, is going to have to go because you decided to spend 70 million quid on a donkey like Antony, who your own club scouts told you was worth 20, tops!

What a ****! 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 12:32 am
Cletus, Watty and Philby reacted
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I wonder if the indigenous Monaco folk feel the same about Jimmy the migrant.
Wayne Rooney’s not up to much at the moment.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:24 am
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Maybe he could move back to Manchester from his Monaco tax haven and pay some bloody taxes on his various massive incomes and assets addingf to the resources of the state - and a trip to a few clothes shops and a barber might make the scruffy git look a little smarter and would help boost the high street economy and maybe create a few jobs for those on benefits. .

Man Utd must have one of the most largest, ethnically diverse fan bases - I wonder how they feel after his hateful outburst.

What a moronic hypocrite!


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:50 am
Watty reacted
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Sean Dyche has just been sacked by Forest after a 0-0 home draw with bottom club Wolves. A few owners are starting to panic - I wonder who will be stupid enough to take the role and work for the tyrant Marinakis who will be looking for his 4th coach this season after Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 3:26 am
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Dyche to Spurs?! 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 8:40 am
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It's for Hearts to lose it now Rangers look the better of the chasing duo, but they're further behind. Celtic chased down Hearts in 1985 with a massive run of wins. The current Celtic team don't look like they've got that in them 3rd place is more likely than first on the evidence of current displays 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 8:48 am
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35 shots & not a single goal & then sacking the manager. Never let it be said Forest are a not a soap opera.

As for Jim - pay your ***** ** ** taxes you * & actually help the country - you are part of the problem. Disappointing that the sky journalist didn't really challenge him on anything either with his wild numbers plucked from the air.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 9:49 am
dander reacted
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It'll be interesting to see how Hearts do away to Rangers at the weekend. I hope they win it. 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 10:07 am
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Looking forward to Brentford getting something against us tonight. And then Spurs doing us over. It's in the Arsenal DNA.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 10:17 am
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I think Rangers might win the SPL - which seems ludicrous given the state of them under Russell Martin. Hearts and Celtic seem quite reliant on late, late winners, Rangers May just grind it out. 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 12:40 pm
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Better bet than Celtic anyway.... unfortunately 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 12:52 pm
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I can see the "Arsenal go Spursey” headlines.  Personally I don’t see the “pressure being cranked up” aspect any more than before, it’s all clickbait for what is a 38 game season being run at a pretty stiff pace.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:00 pm
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I see Ratcliffe has issued a statement - blaming people for being offended rather than apologising. 

It'd be nice to see some banners at Old Trafford this weekend letting him know how people feel about billionaires. 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:15 pm
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"I think Rangers might win the SPL - which seems ludicrous given the state of them under Russell Martin. Hearts and Celtic seem quite reliant on late, late winners, Rangers May just grind it out. "

 

Better to be scoring late winners than conceding late equalisers against 10 men.


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:21 pm
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It'd be nice to see some banners at Old Trafford this weekend letting him know how people feel about billionaires

I did like this one that was above the players tunnel as they come out 

IMG_1748.jpeg


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:42 pm
 DrJ
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Posted by: PrinceJohn

I see Ratcliffe has issued a statement - blaming people for being offended rather than apologising.

Sorry not sorry. What a graceless arsehole. 


 
Posted : 12/02/2026 1:52 pm
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