EPL 2024/2025
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Emi Martinez sent off in possibly his last appearance for Villa. Sold down the river by an awful Matty Cash backpass. Champions league football looks near impossible now for us.
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Disappointing end for us, but we all know that our goal should have stood and Bayindir dropped that ball. The goal should have stood.
Having said that, we got well outplayed today. You'd think we were 16th and Man U were fighting for a champions league spot with the way the game went.
Massive money gone with that decision, but it is what it is. Onto the Europa League next season. I assume we're gonna have to let more players go because of this.
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@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Emi Martinez sent off in possibly his last appearance for Villa. Sold down the river by an awful Matty Cash backpass. Champions league football looks near impossible now for us.
Awful backpass but Martinez should have let Hojlund run and chased back - could almost have been a red for the no arms tackle! And yes the ref will be regretting blowing up immediately when the ball was stolen by Rogers - that left no option for a VAR review.
Pleased that Sunderland are back rather than Sheff U - a genuinely big club. However, they aren't very good and I don't see how they are even going to be competitive in the EPL.
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Emi Martinez sent off in possibly his last appearance for Villa. Sold down the river by an awful Matty Cash backpass. Champions league football looks near impossible now for us.
Awful backpass but Martinez should have let Hojlund run and chased back - could almost have been a red for the no arms tackle! And yes the ref will be regretting blowing up immediately when the ball was stolen by Rogers - that left no option for a VAR review.
Pleased that Sunderland are back rather than Sheff U - a genuinely big club. However, they aren't very good and I don't see how they are even going to be competitive in the EPL.
Yeah he did commit a bit early but shouldn't have been put in that position in the first place.
Do we give any of the promoted sides a chance of staying up?
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@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Do we give any of the promoted sides a chance of staying up?
No. Unless one of the current 17 self-destructs, they all have way too much quality and depth. This season, the 3 promoted teams played a total of 102 games against those 17 and won just 8. One single team will have to win 8 of their 34 games to stand any chance of staying up.
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Do we give any of the promoted sides a chance of staying up?
No. Unless one of the current 17 self-destructs, they all have way too much quality and depth. This season, the 3 promoted teams played a total of 102 games against those 17 and won just 8. One single team will have to win 8 of their 34 games to stand any chance of staying up.
Which is why I think someone like Sean Dyche needs to be hired by one of them. These teams come up trying to play the same style as the bigger teams which is admirable, but they find out quckly the extra pace and quicker ball movement means that the holes they leave get exploited.
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Do we give any of the promoted sides a chance of staying up?
No. Unless one of the current 17 self-destructs, they all have way too much quality and depth. This season, the 3 promoted teams played a total of 102 games against those 17 and won just 8. One single team will have to win 8 of their 34 games to stand any chance of staying up.
Shocking goal difference too - each of the bottom 3 teams was as bad as all the other teams (with a negative goal diff) combined.
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@sparky said in EPL 2024/2025:
Is this the way to Lithuania?
Fuck Barcelona, I'm off to Albania!
Thursday nights in Transylvania!
Europa League Awaits for Me!Up the Villa!
Jesus we're not in the Conference league mate 😂
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@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
Do we give any of the promoted sides a chance of staying up?
No. Unless one of the current 17 self-destructs, they all have way too much quality and depth. This season, the 3 promoted teams played a total of 102 games against those 17 and won just 8. One single team will have to win 8 of their 34 games to stand any chance of staying up.
Which is why I think someone like Sean Dyche needs to be hired by one of them. These teams come up trying to play the same style as the bigger teams which is admirable, but they find out quckly the extra pace and quicker ball movement means that the holes they leave get exploited.
We need someone to teach Ange how to get Spurs to defend....
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These were the projected Europa League pots a couple of days ago:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Grz8E5xWsAEHozR?format=jpg&name=large -
Alex might be In Europe next year
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-transfer-news-bournemouth-black-knight-a-league-goalkeeper-5149290 -
Well, well the (UK, at least) season ends and here we are again. Not a vintage season by any stretch with the title decided early on and, more worringly for the game as a whole, the relegations also. Let's wrap things up before doing some awards.
Liverpool: Huge season, won it at a canter with consistent football with huge, big game players up the front and back. Massive shout outs to Arno Slot for doing the virtually impossible (following on from Klopp), you have to take your hat off to them. Well played
Arsenal: What could have been. A great team with a glaringly obvious issue that I'll cover later on. End the season with a dusty trophy cabinet which for me can be placed firmly on Arteta's shoulders for not plugging an obvious gap. 2nd in EPL and SF for CL is pretty damn good, but oh what could have been ...
City: 3 seasons in one season. Picked up where they left off, fell apart, then came back to end 3rd. In my view, I thought the squad looked a bit bored and happy to just pick up their salary week to week. Trophyless and often, hunger less. You don't say that about Guardiola's teams often, if ever.
Chelsea: Still a one man team honestly, and the form of the one man dictated their season. Ended with some silverware (Europe Conference League) and a young exciting squad. A real launchpad for 25/26. Dare I be excited about my team?
Newcastle: Brilliant season, but I do feel that this years results might be the peak of the current setup. EPL Trophy and fourth is nothing to be sniffed at and I'm genuinely happy for their fans. But if their aspirations are higher, a big shift change may be required. Especially if they can't hang on to Isak.
Aston Villa: Oh Villa, so close but oh so far. It all looked good for so long, but perhaps like Newcastle this is their peak. Emery has done a great job and if not for the last days result, a huge pass mark for the season. But not to be. No CL next year, huge disappointment for them.
Nottingham Forest; Wow, I did not see that coming (which means nothing really). Great team to watch, pure heart with a classic old school striker up front doing old school striker things. Became a lot of peoples default second team this year, where to for 25/26? Nuno seems pretty solid at the helm, so I think they'll be upper mid again next year.
Brighton: Another solid season for this club, I do think that other clubs should look at their managerial recruitment. They've done really well here. I didn't get much time to watch these guys sadly, but from all readings a decent enough competitive season
Bournemouth: Really good season for these guys, I think beating almost all expectations.
Brentford: I almost feel like they have cemented themselves in the EPL this year, I thought their time might be done, but they've performed admirably. Like the two above, I didn't see many of their games unfortunately, so little to comment
Fulham: Disappointing for them the league position, I honestly thought they deserved higher than this. Played well and Fulham away a tough proposition.
Palace: Who gives a shit about the league they won the FA cup!
Everton: A decent result in the end. Moyes return not exactly the most welcomed, or perhaps the most inspired, but he's given them the Moyes consistency and they'll be much better for it next year in their new stadium.
West Ham: Tough to know what to think, as 43 points is not a bad return for them, although I think they could have done better. Have a good solid squad and able to grind out a result if needed. Fickle as anything fans though.
Man United. Where to begin. Shambles, shocking, shoddy... shit. Amorim seems to really have the backing, but I've no idea why. ETH got the boot, deservedly, and Amorim was left to try and make the squad work. But he couldn't. They've got some off season work to do, big time. But with no Europe, how can they attract the big players. I'd be looking at that academy if I were you Amorim.
Spurs: Does one swallow make a summer? Perhaps it does with the Europe league win, but what a shambles of a league. Ange will surely go, as Spurs have no idea how to defend on a week to week basis. The right manager and this squad can go places.
Bottom 3: I'm going to comment on them as a group, as reality is that they weren't up to the level. Is it their fault, well I don't know, but the numbers are stark. The 3 promoted teams all went down, with a shocking 13 point gap up to 17th. This is real warning signs for the league and it must be noted. The gap can't continue to be this big between the leagues, and the emperors must take note and look to address it otherwise the whole system is well and truly kaput.
And now, time for the awards .....
The Nostridumbarse Award For Awful Predictions.
An open field, but a runaway leader in @MajorRage. Still reeling after possibly the worst call of 23/24 (Rice will not be worth anything like his Arsenal transfer fee), here are this schmucks predictions:
*City, Arsenal, Villa, United, Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool ...... Ipswich, Brentford, Southampton.
Basically I think Villa are going to keep going, United to bounce a bit, Liverpool to struggle with an aging squad and a post-Fergie style post-Klopp. Chelsea will still be dogshit, but beat the lesser teams. Brentford golden run feels like it's done for me & as for mid-table, I have absolutely no idea.*
He got Arsenal right & 2 out of the 3 relegates, but overall a terrible misread of the season. Don't listen to this clown, he knows nothing.
The What Did You Eat For Xmas Lunch Award
Cole Palmer. It's not untrue to say in that in the first half of the season he was the best player in the league, and honestly speaking, perhaps the planet. The global talk of Palmer was huge and week in, week out, he backed it up. Nobody cared about his shocking haircut, rather unusual looks and personality of a sodden brick wall, he had it all. Goals, assists and opposition were scared of him.
And then, it just stopped. The goals dried up, the confidence dropped and the whole team lost their way. From 1 point of the top to dropping 15 points and ending their title run in January. Amazing.
The Were You Aware Of This Award
League, League Cup, FA Cup, Euro League, Euro Conference League. All won by different EPL clubs. Thought that was a pretty cool stat!
Kiwi Of The Year
Chris Wood. It's an NZ based site, you can't expect me to not give him an award.
The Are You Aware You Can Buy a Striker Award
Mikel Arteta. Arsenal were so damn good this year in so many facets of play. Really good to watch with some young players and a Captain with a bit of Roy Keane demeanour. Yet, without a 20 goal a year striker, they sadly looked destined to end the season as they did. Decent set of results, but an empty trophy cabinet. As I type, they are in the midst of signing a new midfielder. .... Wake up Mikel!
Personality Of The Year
Cole Palmer.Yeah right, obviously not. Last year I gave my man of the year to Ange based on his personality, but this year it can only go to the Japanese Ambassador. Ok, this has little to do with football, but was I the only one who found the media part of the EPL this season a bit dull? Did anybody light things up with their charisma, charm or absurd arrogance? I honestly can't think of anyone.Manager Of The Year
Nuno! Forest had a superb season and even as a one eyed Kiwi, you have to look past Chris Wood's heroics & acknowledge that it's down to Nuno. Poor ending but they really lit up the EPL this year. Bit rough on Arno Slot who had the tough job of following on from Klopp, but he did inherit a great squad, so I can't give it to him.
Player Of The Year
Look, I don't like Liverpool, I get bored of every second person I meet in my demographic having their own bullshit reasons for loving this team (success in the 80's is the true answer you bunch of liars), but Mo Salah this year was out of this world. There are two types of people in the world. Those that give the 24/25 EPL POTY to Salah, and liars. It was daylight in the end, and as he approaches the twilight of his career, he's better than ever.
The Big One. The MajorRage Overall Award
This year, it goes to ......... Fans of Palace & Newcastle. Your teams lit up the cups winning their first trophies since forever & I know of not one single person who begrudges you, the fans, of these trophies. There will always be misgivings about funding etc, but thats not your fault. I know a smattering of fans from each club and you were all, to a man, humble, emotional and hugely proud of your clubs for their respective cups. In a league full of tribal support often based on negative emotions, I found your celebrations truly joyous.
Next Season
If you think I'm going to comment on that, you've not been paying attention. Stick to @KiwiPie for this one.
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@MajorRage Team of the year was Crystal Palace for me. They managed somehow to hold onto a bunch of talented players despite the big boys circling around them like vultures. An unfashionable club from an unfashionable bit of London, but up and down the country their away fans were the noisiest and most passionate all season. And they won a major trophy for the first time in their history. And it was the oldest trophy of the lot.
