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United States10383 Posts
On August 06 2025 18:40 Harris1st wrote:
PL
Liverpool offense looks incredible. Fast paced and creative. Just missing a clean finisher (well other than Salah I guess). Defensively, it isn't clicking yet. Also not sure I like Mamardashvili. Whats up with Alisson? Definitely my favorites for the league title this season
Man City without KDB... But Rodri is back. Should be a lot more stable now. Probably second in the league.
Next is Arsenal.
Last top 4 slot is pretty open with Chelsea most likely grabbing it.
La Liga
If Barca can get their shit together (signing and actually register players) they'll win the league.
2. Real
3. Athletico
Bundesliga
Bayern by a mile. This gonna be so boring
2-6 Stuttgart, BVB, Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Leipzig in any order. We'll see
Don't know nothing about Serie A.
Ligue 1 is boring
Ali went home to Brazil for personal reasons. His wife revealed on instagram she had some kind of operation, not sure what it was.
I think with all our incredibly offensive oriented players that we're still trying to figure out the balance between offense and defense. Our ball movement and playing between the lines looks incredible right now with Wiritz basically being the catalyst where he can receive the ball anywhere then make a little flick on to get Salah or Gakpo into space.
Frimpong definitely looks out of it when he needs to track back, he's just constantly out of position which is expected honestly. When he's actually in front of the ball, he's not a bad defender. He just needs to have a better mindset of getting back into position a bit faster and he'll be a serviceable defender. Been seeing more Kerkez tuck in to form the back 3, though I think we'll see him start bombing up more as Gravy gets more comfortable sliding between the CBs.
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On August 06 2025 22:13 WombaT wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2025 18:40 Harris1st wrote:
PL
Liverpool offense looks incredible. Fast paced and creative. Just missing a clean finisher (well other than Salah I guess). Defensively, it isn't clicking yet. Also not sure I like Mamardashvili. Whats up with Alisson? Definitely my favorites for the league title this season
Man City without KDB... But Rodri is back. Should be a lot more stable now. Probably second in the league.
Next is Arsenal.
Last top 4 slot is pretty open with Chelsea most likely grabbing it.
La Liga
If Barca can get their shit together (signing and actually register players) they'll win the league.
2. Real
3. Athletico
Bundesliga
Bayern by a mile. This gonna be so boring
2-6 Stuttgart, BVB, Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Leipzig in any order. We'll see
Don't know nothing about Serie A.
Ligue 1 is boring
Yeah, although in a league where the champion isn’t hugely better on paper (Bundesliga) I maybe fancy the non-champs from last season. It’s pretty tough to go again, and if you’re Liverpool you’ve also got an Arsenal desperate to actually win the prize after being nearly men for a few seasons, and City are probably going to be pretty pumped up. I think at least in the Prem, the CL may decide a lot. Whoever is pushing for that, or goes deep I can see it hard to maintain a challenge on both fronts. Should be some cracking seasons coming up anyway!
No way arsenal will win the premier League
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 07 2025 07:53 sharkie wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2025 22:13 WombaT wrote:On August 06 2025 18:40 Harris1st wrote:
PL
Liverpool offense looks incredible. Fast paced and creative. Just missing a clean finisher (well other than Salah I guess). Defensively, it isn't clicking yet. Also not sure I like Mamardashvili. Whats up with Alisson? Definitely my favorites for the league title this season
Man City without KDB... But Rodri is back. Should be a lot more stable now. Probably second in the league.
Next is Arsenal.
Last top 4 slot is pretty open with Chelsea most likely grabbing it.
La Liga
If Barca can get their shit together (signing and actually register players) they'll win the league.
2. Real
3. Athletico
Bundesliga
Bayern by a mile. This gonna be so boring
2-6 Stuttgart, BVB, Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Leipzig in any order. We'll see
Don't know nothing about Serie A.
Ligue 1 is boring
Yeah, although in a league where the champion isn’t hugely better on paper (Bundesliga) I maybe fancy the non-champs from last season. It’s pretty tough to go again, and if you’re Liverpool you’ve also got an Arsenal desperate to actually win the prize after being nearly men for a few seasons, and City are probably going to be pretty pumped up. I think at least in the Prem, the CL may decide a lot. Whoever is pushing for that, or goes deep I can see it hard to maintain a challenge on both fronts. Should be some cracking seasons coming up anyway! No way arsenal will win the premier League
Because Arteta right?
Arsenal have an excellent squad, they’ve quality all over the pitch and they’re a pretty settled unit. They’ve got their goal scoring number 9, they lost Saka and Odegaard for periods last season, and Odegaard never really got into peak form even after returning, unlike Saka.
If the new signings gel, they’ve got a great shot. They were still competitive last season while having to play Merino as a makeshift striker for considerable chunks
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arsenal has to win it in the next 2 or 3 seasons imo. if they dont then slowly the team thats currently built will start to get dismantled and even worse i think the entitled fans will make sure arteta loses his job.
personally i think arteta could be the next wenger for arsenal and shouldnt be kicked from the club unless arsenal drops out of the top 4 again
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Yes of course because of Arteta.. 2nd highest paid manager in the premier league, top4 net spend in the premier league, trophies = ZERO.
ManUtd has been winning more during Arteta's reign. Arsenal's squad is excellent yes but thats not down to Arteta. Most of the heavy hitters have been at the club already when he joined. Probably the best academy in England. He had one season of exciting football, complete downwards trajectory since then.
Have any of you even watched the pre-season games or are you just watching at the team sheet? Horrendous performances, no change of play at all. I am sure most here predicted last season to be "Arsenal"'s season. I predicted the same I do now. No major title.
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Since when were Arsenal a team that could demand titles?
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 07 2025 15:20 sharkie wrote:
Yes of course because of Arteta.. 2nd highest paid manager in the premier league, top4 net spend in the premier league, trophies = ZERO.
ManUtd has been winning more during Arteta's reign. Arsenal's squad is excellent yes but thats not down to Arteta. Most of the heavy hitters have been at the club already when he joined. Probably the best academy in England. He had one season of exciting football, complete downwards trajectory since then.
Have any of you even watched the pre-season games or are you just watching at the team sheet? Horrendous performances, no change of play at all. I am sure most here predicted last season to be "Arsenal"'s season. I predicted the same I do now. No major title.
No they weren’t already there. Isn’t it a common criticism when you point out that they won the FA Cup under Arteta was that it was ‘Emery’s squad’?
Arteta can’t simultaneously be criticised in some quarters for packing his team with midfielders, and not buying 9s but also have nothing to do with the recruitment. They’ve a good academy, sure, but he’s managed some of that talent pretty well. MLS isn’t a natural left back, but he looks a good one now. Nwanieri has been given a blooding but he’s not being burned out by being over-played.
I haven’t watched much pre-season, I did see an article where Arteta played two 15 year-olds, I don’t really expect Arsenal to be firing on all cylinders.
I think it’s fair to not think he’s an absolutely elite coach, but you seem to have some irrational blind spot on Arteta and my boy Tommy Tuchs and think they’re absolutely awful, and anything they do do well there’s some reason they don’t get credit for it.
United fans would snap your hand off if you were a magic genie and offered to swap their position for Arsenal’s. Not all trophies are created equal, I guarantee if Arsenal finish say, a distant 4th or 5th this season, Arteta would be gone even if won both domestic cups.
At worst, he’s got Arsenal to be challenging for the elite prizes again, which they weren’t doing in Wenger’s later years, or under Emery, and he’s spent a fair bit of money, and maybe should have won more.
If he does go, the next guy inherits a damn good squad, with a pretty good age profile. What you do while you’re there is obviously the biggest thing, but I think the state the club is in after you go is often overlooked by many.
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Saka, Saliba, Martinelli were already there.
Partey and Gabriel deals were already done without Arteta.
So who is missing from the backbone? Raya who is at best as good as Martinez (who Arteta got rid of), Odeegard who is still searching for his next good season. Who else?
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 08 2025 00:10 sharkie wrote:
Saka, Saliba, Martinelli were already there.
Partey and Gabriel deals were already done without Arteta.
So who is missing from the backbone? Raya who is at best as good as Martinez (who Arteta got rid of), Odeegard who is still searching for his next good season. Who else?
Like, the entire rest of the team? If it gels, the entire midfield of Zubimendi/Rice/Odegaard?
Odegaard’s been good to excellent every season bar last, and that was in part down to him never getting going post-injury.
Arsenal were exciting under Emery, but pretty leaky at times defensively. Arteta fixed that part of the side at least.
It comes back to my point that you will find some reason not to give Arteta credit for anything.
If a good player was already there, nothing to do with Arteta. Recruitment, nothing to do with Arteta. Knitting those players he had apparently nothing to do with into a cohesive team competing at the elite level, also I assume nothing to do with Arteta. Bringing through youth players and having them make the jump from youth football to elite men’s football, also nothing to do with Arteta, I mean it’s just a good academy.
I can see why you’re mad at his high wage given he apparently does nothing in his day-to-day!
I just really don’t understand how you even evaluate which coaches are good or not, just seems to be pure vibes.
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Dont bash arsenal so much, I try to get tickets for a home game  .
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 08 2025 00:58 gTank wrote:Dont bash arsenal so much, I try to get tickets for a home game .
Surely that should make it easier to have some free to buy right? :p
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you dont even have to look at anything other than arsenals actual league placements compared to previous managers to see that arteta has done a decent job.
having a good squad in and of itself means jack shit if the manager doesnt know what hes doing. the lack of trophy criticism is fair, but its undeniable that arteta has come closer than arsenal ever has in the last 20 years on multiple occasions now.
cup runs are another thing, maybe united still has remnants of a "winning mentality" (lul we lost to fucking tottenham so apparently not) compared to arsenal, and thats something arteta has to work on. still, hes more likely to do it than any other manager out there imo. if you let arteta go who do you even bring in to replace him? i would bet money that fabregas becomes the favourite and if ppl genuinely think that fabregas right now has a better chance than arteta, theyre dreaming
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On August 08 2025 00:30 WombaT wrote:Show nested quote +On August 08 2025 00:10 sharkie wrote:
Saka, Saliba, Martinelli were already there.
Partey and Gabriel deals were already done without Arteta.
So who is missing from the backbone? Raya who is at best as good as Martinez (who Arteta got rid of), Odeegard who is still searching for his next good season. Who else? Like, the entire rest of the team? If it gels, the entire midfield of Zubimendi/Rice/Odegaard? Odegaard’s been good to excellent every season bar last, and that was in part down to him never getting going post-injury. Arsenal were exciting under Emery, but pretty leaky at times defensively. Arteta fixed that part of the side at least. It comes back to my point that you will find some reason not to give Arteta credit for anything. If a good player was already there, nothing to do with Arteta. Recruitment, nothing to do with Arteta. Knitting those players he had apparently nothing to do with into a cohesive team competing at the elite level, also I assume nothing to do with Arteta. Bringing through youth players and having them make the jump from youth football to elite men’s football, also nothing to do with Arteta, I mean it’s just a good academy. I can see why you’re mad at his high wage given he apparently does nothing in his day-to-day! I just really don’t understand how you even evaluate which coaches are good or not, just seems to be pure vibes.
If it is just pure vibes why am I so right so often? I told you Tuchel is bad long before rest of the world finally saw it (just ask Bayern how bad he is lol.). I won a sig bet knowing Liverpool would perform in their historic title winning season (betting against Guardiola when the rest of the world thought that it would be insane.) Also I haven't said anything near that about Pep since that (knowing how he adapated after that season and respecting him for that).
I have challenged you guys multiple times in the threads for sig bets about things that turned to be true afterwards but most of you did not agree with at that time.
I get it that you don't like how I write stuff but I am damn sure knowledgeable about football...
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 08 2025 02:01 sharkie wrote:Show nested quote +On August 08 2025 00:30 WombaT wrote:On August 08 2025 00:10 sharkie wrote:
Saka, Saliba, Martinelli were already there.
Partey and Gabriel deals were already done without Arteta.
So who is missing from the backbone? Raya who is at best as good as Martinez (who Arteta got rid of), Odeegard who is still searching for his next good season. Who else? Like, the entire rest of the team? If it gels, the entire midfield of Zubimendi/Rice/Odegaard? Odegaard’s been good to excellent every season bar last, and that was in part down to him never getting going post-injury. Arsenal were exciting under Emery, but pretty leaky at times defensively. Arteta fixed that part of the side at least. It comes back to my point that you will find some reason not to give Arteta credit for anything. If a good player was already there, nothing to do with Arteta. Recruitment, nothing to do with Arteta. Knitting those players he had apparently nothing to do with into a cohesive team competing at the elite level, also I assume nothing to do with Arteta. Bringing through youth players and having them make the jump from youth football to elite men’s football, also nothing to do with Arteta, I mean it’s just a good academy. I can see why you’re mad at his high wage given he apparently does nothing in his day-to-day! I just really don’t understand how you even evaluate which coaches are good or not, just seems to be pure vibes. If it is just pure vibes why am I so right so often? I told you Tuchel is bad long before rest of the world finally saw it (just ask Bayern how bad he is lol.). I won a sig bet knowing Liverpool would perform in their historic title winning season (betting against Guardiola when the rest of the world thought that it would be insane.) Also I haven't said anything near that about Pep since that (knowing how he adapated after that season and respecting him for that). I have challenged you guys multiple times in the threads for sig bets about things that turned to be true afterwards but most of you did not agree with at that time. I get it that you don't like how I write stuff but I am damn sure knowledgeable about football...
There’s nothing to sig bet about. If I said Arteta was the bestest thing ev0r, I’d be happy to put my proverbial money where my mouth is. Instead I think he can be a good coach, even if he doesn’t win the league or whatever. Whereas you seem to think he’s terrible.
So what is there to bet on? I don’t even think they’re favourites for the league, Liverpool probably are based on winning it, and their summer business. Man City have done great business, and last season could merely have been a blip, they look potentially revitalised if Pep can galvanise them again.
So it’s a total lose-lose for me to sig bet. I could bet that Arsenal win the league or the CL, which I don’t think they’re favourites are, I could bet on Arsenal winning another trophy, which I also don’t think they’ll do, but if they do it’ll be symptomatic of them having a bad season in all likelihood. If they’re actually in league contention and doing well in the CL, they’ll not go all-out for those comps:
I think one sees the conundrum.
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Boasting that you know stuff about football by sigbets, at the same time saying Tuchel is a bad coach (won CL, I guess that doesnt matter really?) is funny. XD
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United States10383 Posts
On August 08 2025 03:01 gTank wrote:
Boasting that you know stuff about football by sigbets, at the same time saying Tuchel is a bad coach (won CL, I guess that doesnt matter really?) is funny. XD
Is it time to bring back ABL FPL, but instead its random footie takes?
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Norway28788 Posts
2023/24 Arsenal lost the title by 2 points. With a 2-1 or 3-2 win instead of 2-2 vs Fulham, they'd have won the league. That's a game where they had 19 vs 8 shots and Fulham equalized in the 87th minute.
Last season in the CL, they lost in the semi against PSG, who ended up winning the final 5-0, but Arsenal was the better team across those two legs.
Football is a game where chance is a huge factor. If a team wins the league by 15 points - sure - they were clearly deserving winners, and they'd be overwhelmingly likely to have won again if you played it all out once more. But knockout football, be it CL or EC or WCs, would a large majority of the time end with a different team winning if the tournament was replayed right after completion. Maybe for like, peak Pep Barcelona you could say that they were actually favorites to win the tournament before it started, but usually, the best team has less than 25% chance of winning it all. Sure - PL is 38 matches - but it might still literally boil down to hitting a post or missing a penalty or a goalie making a howler. Arteta's run has been hugely successful even if he hasn't won a major trophy, because he took over a team that hasn't done that for more than 20 years, and he made them actual contenders.
Most likely they're not winning the PL or the CL this year either. I'd say something like Liverpool 40% Arsenal/City combined 55% someone else 5%. CL is like, Liverpool City Arsenal PSG Barca Real Bayern are legit candidates, then some other teams like Inter or Atletico or Chelsea have a shot with a lucky draw and a great run, but no team has more than 20% and Arsenal is probably more like 10%.
But that's actually very good. Before Arteta took over, Arsenal spent 10 years without even having a fighter's chance. It's like, yeah, trophys matter, but people are still talking about the netherlands during the 70s. There's way too much chance in football to have that be the determiner for whether a team/manager is successful or not. Now - if Arsenal end up with 74 points and losing against Benfica in the ro16? That's a failed season. If they get third place in the league with 88 points and lose on penalties against Barcelona in the quarter final? That's good.
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On August 08 2025 03:01 gTank wrote:
Boasting that you know stuff about football by sigbets, at the same time saying Tuchel is a bad coach (won CL, I guess that doesnt matter really?) is funny. XD
Di matteo won a CL.
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51586 Posts
sesko to united, newcastle getting shafted this transfer window lmao
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Northern Ireland26698 Posts
On August 09 2025 18:51 GTR wrote:
sesko to united, newcastle getting shafted this transfer window lmao
Newcastle at least do have a solid core to fall back on, but they do need a refresh, and some upgrades. Man this has nae been a good window so far.
Spurs looked like having a good one at the start, but it’s switching to be pretty bad. Kudus is a quality operator, and when it looked like they were getting Morgan Gibbs-White early doors, that’s looking pretty good to begin with. But they don’t get the latter, and subsequently have Maddison out injured now, looks like for the season. Now it’s looking pretty rough.
Haven’t been religiously following the whole league’s transfer business, but Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool have all done pretty good business.
As an aside I must say, I understand why they exist, (mostly) nobody wants to see clubs go to the wall with overspending, or billionaire spending sprees inflating things further and distorting competition.
But man PSR rules in their current state ain’t it.
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EPT
