Andy

I mean, it is? Certainly in the league, he contributed next to nothing last season and has blown far more cold than hot this season too. Even just boiling it down to raw stats, he's contributed 6 league goals from open play in two seasons, with 7 assists in that time. Hardly setting the league alight, and I'd argue he's been even worse by the eye test.

Get where you're coming from with this but you don't consistently concede late goals like we did through bad luck. I reckon if you re-ran that season 100 times with the same players available and the same tactical approach to each match, we'd end up in roughly the same position at the end of it all, based on nothing more than the eye test across the season.

This is the criteria all pundits should be selected based on. I'd tune in to hear Freddy Adu and Tó Madeira's thoughts ahead of Keane, Carragher and Neville any day of the week.

Maybe two or three games a season when he can be arsed, aye. His overall performances have been largely shite for two years.

It depends if you're judging the season purely on our own outcome, or if you're reviewing the season as a whole. The 2025/26 campaign was easily a 3/10 if you factor in the whole shebang beyond our own results and performances; Arsenal winning the league, mackems getting Europe, Villa winning EL, Spurs beating the drop, Celtic winning the SPL, etc. Even just taking into account our own season though, I'm not sure hitting par in the CL (par for any PL club) and reaching a league cup semi really offsets the disaster that was the summer and the subsequent results and performances in the league that have followed. You can critique it as a poor season relative to expectations without it being "entitlement". Everyone knows this wasn't a Mike Ashley campaign.

Based on historical performances by clubs in a similar position, isn't it more likely than not that you'll struggle in the league with the extra strain of Europe to contend with? This isn't some outlandish observation that has never been made before, it's a pattern that repeats year on year.

It'll be about money, I'm sure Nuno wouldn't have went there for cheap given how desperate they were looking. Apparently he has a clause that allows them to sack him for nowt in the case of relegation.

I think it's difficult to fully exonerate him of blame for this season like. He's made plenty of poor or questionable decisions on the pitch, which have just compounded the mess we were already in from the summer's business. That's without even getting into the conversation of whether he had responsibility for the signings we made. For me, going into next season he's effectively in the same position a new manager would be if they took over tomorrow. No credit, no debit. A clean slate as you say, but we need to be much, much better on the pitch and hit the ground running.

It depends what you're comparing it to, as we've obviously had more depressing and abject seasons in the past. But compared to expectations and where the club wants to be, it was obviously disappointing. We hit par in the champions league, reached a cup semi final (albeit without pulling up any trees), but massively underperformed in the league. I actually think our final position flattered us a bit, 13th-15th would've felt more in line with our performances I reckon. All of that combined with the mess of the summer, the mackems getting Europe, Arsenal winning the league, Villa winning the Europa, and Spurs beating the drop, it's hard to look at anything beyond a 3/10 when taken as a whole.

He'd be perfect for Villa like. Right up Emery's "shoot on sight" street.

Not been my experience like. In fact, I reckon I've heard more about football from my Sunderland supporting mates over the last 4 or 5 months than I had in the previous decade combined.

I think Howe has lost a lot of faith in Howe this season too, based on some of his decisions and his general demeanor.

That Palace game was the most annoyed I've been with us all season, including the derbies. Just couldn't believe how listless we looked in the first half against a team that clearly couldn't give a shite, the game felt like a pre-season friendly when it should have been an opportunity to have a good crack at the end of the campaign.

Even Spurs reached the knockout rounds tbf.

We didn't play with intensity for large parts of last season either to be honest, it was quite a frequent criticism on here. The difference was generally the fact that we had a world class striker burying almost everything, and players like Murphy delivering way above their level in terms of end product too.

He was pretty instrumental in us winning a trophy last season, like. He hasn't downed tools unlike other players this season and has still been putting the miles in even if his performances have dipped, I'm inclined to think today's injury was genuine even if he ends up leaving.

On the first part, that's ignoring the fact that this was an extremely easy Europe to qualify for, as evidenced by the teams that have achieved it. On the second, comparing eras is pointless. It's been a vastly underwhelming league season and there's no other way of dressing that up.

Most of our fans didn't worry about them getting promoted one bit.

Gordon isn't being rested for the world cup though, he's been benched since he wants away, likely to protect his value.

Can we swap-in Southampton at half time?

You'd definitely think it benefits Leeds more to keep West Ham in the league next season, since they'll likely be in the relegation battle again. Can't see Spurs being down there under De Zerbi.

Bit annoying since losing Matt Targett hinged on booking long distance flights, guess we're stuck with him

There's no secret forum lads, just the admin forum, which is basically just Rich and Yorkie slagging you all off

Aye, and much as I understand why Hull are putting forward the argument they're putting forward, the second leg of the other semi final could've been delayed for any number of reasons too, which would have put them at the same competitive disadvantage of having less time to prepare. I'm not sure the argument really holds up. They knew they were preparing for one of two teams and they knew the circumstances, failing to rearrange the pre-planned day off just seems like stupidity on their part, as does only planning to face a team that you know have cheated and are at serious risk of being kicked out.

I do think it's quite telling that he has barely (if at all?) kicked a ball for us since Shearer claimed he feigned injury last month mind. I got the feeling at the time that Shearer wouldn't have said that unless he'd heard it from someone close to or within the playing staff.