On 12/07/2025 at 04:14, Scott Harris said:

They're just feeling sorry for themselves. United, City, Nice, and Getafe, they all had the same issue last season and they sorted it before the deadline by using the "blind trust" rule. Palace tried to do this, but they missed the March 1st deadline.

There's also a bit more to this, in that John Textor potentially ruined it because of his spat with the other owners causing him to delay the sale of shares. The March 1 'deadline' is a bit rough because neither Lyon or Crystal Palace would have anticipated this situation in April, let alone March, but also f**k multi-club ownership.

Textor has desperately been trying to claw control of Crystal Palace but basically has no operational influence other than monetary investment. Palace will probably rely on this at CAS as the club needs to prove that Textor does not have a controlling influence.

10 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

There's also a bit more to this, in that John Textor potentially ruined it because of his spat with the other owners causing him to delay the sale of shares. The March 1 'deadline' is a bit rough because neither Lyon or Crystal Palace would have anticipated this situation in April, let alone March, but also f**k multi-club ownership.

Textor has desperately been trying to claw control of Crystal Palace but basically has no operational influence other than monetary investment. Palace will probably rely on this at CAS as the club needs to prove that Textor does not have a controlling influence.

Yep. Basically down to Textor's seriously poor judgement. Nothing new. The lack of influence despite the 40% ownership will be the basis of the appeal but I'm not sure how such can be proved.

Oh NO !

Spurs have just beaten Reading 2-0 !

Are they genuine title challengers now ?

On 15/07/2025 at 12:07, PhilH930 said:

New kit deal reported for City, and a significant one at that. Time we sorted a front of shirt sponsor and maybe that long term Jordan kit deal.

BBC Sport

Man City agree Premier League record £1bn kit deal

Manchester City extend their kit partnership with Puma for at least 10 years, with the contract understood to be worth a minimum of £1bn, making it the largest deal in the Premier League.

Looks a bit like a Crystal Palace shirt from years ago....

This one below vv

Edited July 19, 20251 yr by The Rising Sun
Information

57 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Looks a bit like a Crystal Palace shirt from years ago....

This one below vv

oh i like a sash, remember Peru in 1970s ❤️ Cubillas was a bit special.

Edited July 19, 20251 yr by OneTommyLangley

1 hour ago, OneTommyLangley said:

oh i like a sash, remember Peru in 1970s ❤️ Cubillas was a bit special.

He was ! Fantastic free kick v Scotland 👍

24 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

He was ! Fantastic free kick v Scotland 👍

Aye! Seriously, he was some player!!

Edited July 19, 20251 yr by erskblue

Arsenal really are quite baffling in the transfer market.

34 minutes ago, BordeauxBlue said:

Arsenal really are quite baffling in the transfer market.

If they get Gyokeres nothing else really matters. They've strengthened their squad depth immensely in attack and midfield. They look quite light on in defense though, the depth just really isn't there if they get a long-term injury to any one of their starting back 4.

Liverpool are also ones to watch, it's amazing how they've managed to sign Wirtz, Ekitike, Frimpong, Kerkez and probably Isak on such a shoestring budget given they actually haven't sold anyone for any decent money since Coutinho. Still, it won't matter much if they lose Konate to Real Madrid this season, that would leave a very large hole in the defence. And their transfer strategy (and future, it would seem) is banking on three young Bundesliga players replicating their success in the EPL. We've been down that road before....

Unpopular opinion but I really want Mbeumo to succeed at Man United (or wherever he ends up). It would be a slap in the face for all the bullsh*t that masquerades as "data analysis" in this sport.

Edited July 20, 2025Jul 20 by SydneyChelsea

They haven't strengthened the midfield, Partey and Jorgy left and Zubimendi and Norgard came in.

That isn't an improvement.

Chucking 50m+ at Madueke and faffing around over add-ons for the position they really need is so weird.

10 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

If they get Gyokeres nothing else really matters. They've strengthened their squad depth immensely in attack and midfield. They look quite light on in defense though, the depth just really isn't there if they get a long-term injury to any one of their starting back 4.

Liverpool are also ones to watch, it's amazing how they've managed to sign Wirtz, Ekitike, Frimpong, Kerkez and probably Isak on such a shoestring budget given they actually haven't sold anyone for any decent money since Coutinho. Still, it won't matter much if they lose Konate to Real Madrid this season, that would leave a very large hole in the defence. And their transfer strategy (and future, it would seem) is banking on three young Bundesliga players replicating their success in the EPL. We've been down that road before....

Unpopular opinion but I really want Mbeumo to succeed at Man United (or wherever he ends up). It would be a slap in the face for all the bullsh*t that masquerades as "data analysis" in this sport.

To quote Kieran Maguire:

“Liverpool are a super smart football club. They’re in an incredibly strong PSR position. Out of the traditional big six clubs, they’ve spent the least in this three-year cycle – only £325m – and that includes their signing of Florian Wirtz.

“They’ve still got plenty of wiggle room with their transfer budget."

And they won 175m for winning the PL and have CL this season.

And I agree about Mbeumo.

6 hours ago, dermott said:

To quote Kieran Maguire:

“Liverpool are a super smart football club.

Who said that?

3 hours ago, Valerie said:

Who said that?

Yes

10 hours ago, dermott said:

To quote Kieran Maguire:

“Liverpool are a super smart football club. They’re in an incredibly strong PSR position. Out of the traditional big six clubs, they’ve spent the least in this three-year cycle – only £325m – and that includes their signing of Florian Wirtz.

“They’ve still got plenty of wiggle room with their transfer budget."

And they won 175m for winning the PL and have CL this season.

And I agree about Mbeumo.

It's difficult to say their decisions are 'smart' when they had no control over their main choices. Nunez is a colossal bust, and they intended to spend nearly 200m on Caicedo and Lavia. Their surplus isn't as a result of since grand long term plan. They're in a great position, but so were we after 2021.

Much like Chelsea's, Liverpool's finances and decisions are perfect with 20/20 hindsight thanks to an unexpected trophy win. Liverpool won a league with a squad that shouldn't have, thanks to the genius of Salah and monumental collapses from Arsenal/City.

Maguire is prone to bold proclamations without evidence and he is an evangelist for PSR so I take anything he says with a mountain of salt. According to him City, Chelsea and Villa should be in financial oblivion right now.

11 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

It's difficult to say their decisions are 'smart' when they had no control over their main choices. Nunez is a colossal bust, and they intended to spend nearly 200m on Caicedo and Lavia. Their surplus isn't as a result of since grand long term plan. They're in a great position, but so were we after 2021.

Much like Chelsea's, Liverpool's finances and decisions are perfect with 20/20 hindsight thanks to an unexpected trophy win. Liverpool won a league with a squad that shouldn't have, thanks to the genius of Salah and monumental collapses from Arsenal/City.

Maguire is prone to bold proclamations without evidence and he is an evangelist for PSR so I take anything he says with a mountain of salt. According to him City, Chelsea and Villa should be in financial oblivion right now.

He's not actually. Far from it. PSR, supposedly designed to (for want of a better term) level the playing field, does nothing of the sort. It only works to cement the difference between the haves and have-nots, working in the haves' favour. Plus the loopholes are wide enough to drive a team bus through.

Edited July 22, 2025Jul 22 by dermott

On 13/07/2025 at 16:01, Victor90 said:

Would love to get Jim and @yorkleyblue in a room together.

Which one would finally give up on arguing and leave the room?

True story. On my very first day on the shed end, many moons ago, I made a post talking about how we should go and buy a then relatively unknown Toni Kroos. Yorkley came back at me and said something mildly offensive, I went off on one and we had a little back and forth which lasted for about 3 months. After that we had a little IM exchange to clear the air, and actually became pretty good virtual chums. I miss YB - where is he?

Anyway... moral of the story - there is hope for me and Gol and Ukraine yet.

On 13/07/2025 at 20:24, dkw said:

The room would leave first...

I would class that as a win, or at worst a draw.... as long as I got the last word. ;)

Have to say this title is Arsenal or City's to lose. Liverpool's strategy of fielding a Bundesliga all-star team isn't going to work

13 minutes ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Have to say this title is Arsenal or City's to lose. Liverpool's strategy of fielding a Bundesliga all-star team isn't going to work

Between Arsenal & Liverpool for me now Arsenal have signed Gyorkeres.

Liverpool fans seem utterly convinced they’ve improved but I really don’t see it either. I like Kerkez 100%, but with Wirtz in they lose the donkey work Szoboszlai was doing all season. Which was a lot. Frimpong is amazingly somehow worse defensively than TAA also.

Still think we’ll be in the mix but it’s so unclear how this team handles both league+CL.

Edited July 23, 2025Jul 23 by Sconnie Blue

It makes me laugh when I hear fans say this team or that team won the transfer window in Aug.

We won’t know till may. As we well know, what players have done for other teams in different countries doesn’t always mean a thing.

Goyokeres, Wirtz….lets see what how it goes, big names big fees. Jose M was quoted as saying it’s a big step up for Goyokeres. Nunez has struggled in the prem.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Between Arsenal & Liverpool for me now Arsenal have signed Gyorkeres.

Liverpool fans seem utterly convinced they’ve improved but I really don’t see it either. I like Kerkez 100%, but with Wirtz in they lose the donkey work Szoboszlai was doing all season. Which was a lot. Frimpong is amazingly somehow worse defensively than TAA also.

Still think we’ll be in the mix but it’s so unclear how this team handles both league+CL.

I'm not going to write Liverpool off. They have been really good at getting players to gel in their system. Bundesliga players tend to be system players from what I have seen, and the reason why so many of ours failed is because we took them out of that system to play in a role that didn't work for them. Liverpool do the opposite.

I think all of last seasons top 4 have improved their squads in areas that needed it the most. Liverpool's signings certainly feel like the biggest gambles though with how much they have paid for these players.

Ekitake deal done £79m….. as reigning champs and what they’re doing this window have they had a shocker if they don’t win it?

A different type of pressure this season for Slot. He kind of had a free swing last time.

12 hours ago, C3blue said:

It makes me laugh when I hear fans say this team or that team won the transfer window in Aug.

We won’t know till may. As we well know, what players have done for other teams in different countries doesn’t always mean a thing.

Goyokeres, Wirtz….lets see what how it goes, big names big fees. Jose M was quoted as saying it’s a big step up for Goyokeres. Nunez has struggled in the prem.

That it is. The PL defences are several very big steps up from Portugal. And Coventry for that matter.

Arsenal won’t be all that, they don’t really concern me. Gyokeres is a good striker, but he’s not elite and hasn’t done it in a proper league. It’s a mentality thing and they just lack it, they don’t have those winners throughout the team.

Liverpool are a serious worry, Kerkez was the best FB in the Prem last season and getting rid of the disaster that was TAA defensively is a massive positive. Wirtz isn’t the second coming of Christ like he’s being piped up to be but so long as Salah maintains his levels, he doesn’t need to be.

City should and will be 10x the team they were last season, once those signing ‘gel’ I expect them to be the machine we’re used to.

Outside of that, Newcastle will be there or there abouts but lack the squad depth to be taken seriously, Villa I’m expecting a drop off from in comparison to previous seasons, Forest if they lose Gibbs White are completely out of the equation.

Who does that really leave to be worried about? I think we should ‘comfortably’ consolidate a Top 3 position and hopefully stay in a title fight into the new year this time.

If Liverpool sign Isak then it’s them for me. However I like how we are not in the conversation just like we were not in the conversation for CWC!

If Maresca stop the boring side way passing crap and unless these young players we will surprise a lot of people.