Tiresias

I do fear Net Playing time will actually slow down the game, I would be interested to see it trialled though, is it used anywhere in any weird league or equivalent sport that could provide relevant data? If it slows the game down bad, but also if it can cause a lot of variance in game length (I actually doubt it would) it could cause logistical issues with fans being let out etc etc. May be a bit of a non issue but we'll see. The other would be last game of season relegation and title deciders, you want to know results elsewhere and have as much playing time after as you can, the teams are incentivised to have as little playing time as slowly as possible...

Really excited for flying substitutes

One really suspects that the Chelsea brass have watched some youtube videos about soccer and thought aah yes possession based like pep guardiola thats how we want to play not realising that was only considered peak attractive to watch 10 years ago and even Pep now has got a big old striker up front and doesnt give that much of a shit about posession stats. Ironically the first sacked coach Tuchel was a bit more defend using possession style and was very boring.

Excellent servant to the club all in all, as with many of his generation of players tainted with the general malaise and lack of ambition of the era but that's not his fault. Didn't he try and punch Bruce at one point and Bruce was in such a weak position couldn't freeze him out of squad for it. Can leave with head held high.

I dunno Man U won the FA cup that way to be fair

I see your point that Foden does not suit Southgates style as much as Gordon, definitely true but also, 27 goals and 12 assists...hard to really get past that

Sigh done late poor performances now very costly but if you want Europe can't be relying on others. Fear that will cost us bruno

DCL? Aren't our medical team busy enough?

Disappointing but people are allowed to think things through and change minds, it's jumping ship after being tapped up less than a year into a long term project that sticks in the craw somewhat More fish in the sea

Yeah I think Rafa spoke a lot of sense, and I also profoundly disagree with anyone that says Rafa was too negative, he did definitely go caution first but he also changed, his last season was classic, first half we were functional and not especially exciting, but second half we were a counter attacking team but we were a good counter attacking team, not just hoying balls aimlessly.

I'm not saying had to go route 1. Sheffield United sold their best players when they came up and Luton are Luton. Neither are good yardsticks for what can be expected of a promoted team. I'm also very much not suggesting he completely abandon the good football, sorry maybe should have clarified in that. But it's not a binary, positive attacking football or dreary dycheball. You have to accept you are going to have to be more compact if the gegenpress isn't working. I'm not saying he should have turned into Sam Allardyce, but he should have tightened things up. The same issues being present at the end of a season as at the start is a sign of poor management, not heroic sticking to principles. You can play positive attacking football in a more compact manner. You may have to sacrifice a bit of all out attack. I'm sorry but it just doesn't cut it 'sticking to principles'. Relegation affects peoples jobs in that club as well as the fans, hell even the career of players. Again I'm not saying has to start kicking other teams all game etc, but to not even attempt to fix the very real and very obvious problems? That screams of ego getting in the way. they stormed the championship, maybe they still go down anyway, but if I were Burnley I'd feel a lot better if I went down like Luton did, leaving no-one any doubt they gave a good go at it. Sorry I normally love teams like Burnley who play really good football rather than sticking everyone behind ball, but it was just so crap.

If i was at Burnley i would feel sick. Kompany refused to adapt during premier league season leading to them having one of the worst promoted team campaigns in history, the club stick with him for the 'project' despite it being blatantly obvious kompany was prioritising his own career over them by wanting to look like he played attractive football to other clubs, and somehow that strategy worked and now Burnley got themselves relegated for little long term gain. Lesson for football administrators if your manager is refusing to fix an obvious flaw in his own team to look good while you spiral out the league maybe replace the charlatan.

Generally because it allows the defense to press up higher, which means they are closer to the midfield and the attack, meaning they can retain the ball easier and are harder to press. Yes its fashionable but it's not a coincidence it's used by the best sides. You can get away without it if you want to sit deep, this has never been Howe's philosophy though.

Christ they'll be after Lampard soon

They always blow hot and cold though. Glasner may well improve them, can definitely see an improved season, doubt they will trouble the european places, and most likely they will do what they normally do and be rubbish for a chunk of the season below the radar then win a lot bit later in season to get back to respectable mid table.

Burnley got such an easy ride no more so than Vincent Kompany who screamed "look at my football, prospective employers, I care not what happens to this team though". Refusing to change how they defended even a little because of principles? Pep, Klopp, Ancelotti etc etc all adapt plan if needed. All that achieved was ensuring they got relegated solely so a football chairman can say "he plays good football". I'd be fuming as a Burnley fan. I'm not saying he had to go route 1, but to refuse even to play a little deeper was ridiculous.

Crystal Palace could have a good season but more likely they will make big bucks selling Eze, Wharton or Elise this summer and replace with someone who will take a season or two to bed in, then one of the other star players will get a season ending injury and they will end up comfortable mid table. They have no ambitions beyond staying in the league.

They're clearly valued for their off the pitch contribution to the team guess basically as coaching staff they can run out on pitch in fixtures when stretched, I will judge the ambition on the rest of the window

bit disappointed to finish below todd boehly's travelling circus but decent considering

De Zerbi not interested? Considering he left Brighton apparently because he soured things talking publicly about being a bit unhappy and wanting a bigger job, I mean surely its a great chance to go win stuff...

not done enough to replace pep imo, one outstanding season with brighton but this one hasn't been so great (albeit plenty of circumstances). Bayern seems a good shout for a step up with a chance to win things. If Pep announces he's off tomorrow will be surprised, but I do think he's got to be near the end or the cycle

He'd be an absolute perfect replacement for Gundogan at City whom I think has been missed there, was going to say realy badly missed but not like they've been doing badly... Really hope he stays

we get what we deserve for inconsistency through the season tbh

Sigh terrible goal to concede should have scored ourselves though so can't complain. We have been good in periods then we just can't find a player. Meh.

Game is getting away from us here