**Official** English Football Season 2025/26

[Molehill]

Which is fine as human error exists. The trouble is Var doesn't work...

But I think on this occasion, it's going to be 50/50 whether VAR exists or not. Yes, it hit his arm, no his arm was not sticking out. Was it going in? Probably not. I've no idea what the rule is on this and it seems most of the pundits don't either. There are always going to be contentious decisions, but much like DRS, VAR can at least get rid of the howlers.

 

[sledger]

Whether the ball was going in is immaterial. I think this graphic from the FA's website pretty much conclusively shows why it was a handball.

 

[Skipper Pup]

C'mon, it's gameweek 1... please...

Just sit back and enjoy that football has returned.

So many more interesting talking points than this. Here's a few ideas:
- Does Grealish revive his career at Everton?
- Are Wolves going down?
- Is Gabriel the best CB in the league?
- What is a successful season for Villa?
- Are Palace favourites for Conference League?

 

[Molehill]

Whether the ball was going in is immaterial. I think this graphic from the FA's website pretty much conclusively shows why it was a handball.

View attachment 49279

Does it mention anything about the distance between the two players, anything on deflections, anything about the speed the ball is going at? Because we all know any of those 3 things could be used for the ref to not give it.

 

[sledger]

Does it mention anything about the distance between the two players, anything on deflections, anything about the speed the ball is going at? Because we all know any of those 3 things could be used for the ref to not give it.

No. None of those things make any difference. The rule basically says, in more formal language, what uppercut said earlier:

You can’t get away with throwing your arm at the ball just by throwing your chest with it.

 

[Molehill]

No. None of those things make any difference. The rule basically says, in more formal language, what uppercut said earlier:

But they do. If Tarkovski was a yard away from the shot and his arm was in the same place, guarantee it wouldn't be given.

 

[sledger]

But they do.

Not according to the rules as written.

 

[Molehill]

Not according to the rules as written.

But we both know that's not the case.

Anyway, to Skippy's questions:

So many more interesting talking points than this. Here's a few ideas:
- Does Grealish revive his career at Everton? No
- Are Wolves going down? Yes, unless they spend well by end of August
- Is Gabriel the best CB in the league? Probably
- What is a successful season for Villa? 7th
- Are Palace favourites for Conference League? Depends how seriously they take it

 

[sledger]

But we both know that's not the case.

Haha well, we do, because it is there in writing. Any other interpretations or applications of the rules (whether in practice, or in general conversation) are wrong, I don't see how this is contentious in the slightest.

 

[speirz]

C'mon, it's gameweek 1... please...

Just sit back and enjoy that football has returned.

So many more interesting talking points than this. Here's a few ideas:
- Does Grealish revive his career at Everton?
- Are Wolves going down?
- Is Gabriel the best CB in the league?
- What is a successful season for Villa?
- Are Palace favourites for Conference League?

I think Grealish fully reviving his career might be a stretch. I doubt he ever ends up back at a Champions League club, but he'll still have moments of great quality and people will wonder how he's ended up where he has. And then he'll get injured at Christmas and we won't see him play 90 minutes until March.

Wolves will stay up if Jose Sa has a decent season in goal, they'll get points off the sides around them and end up just above relegation. Good sides will regularly batter them though.

It's still van Dijk in my opinion, but by season's end it'll be even more of a debate because I kind of expect City to end up with a more established pairing again now that they've actually bought some wing backs and someone like Gvardiol, Dias or Stones could enter the conversation. If Arsenal actually win something it gets harder to argue with for sure, but I also expect them to be the more conservative than Liverpool or City so theoretically the job they're doing might be a little easier.

For Villa, I reckon European football or a trophy. With Emery there, I think that's the minimum to be considered successful. I'm not saying they should switch managers or overhaul the squad if they fall short of those targets, but I think that's what they need to do to keep progressing and stay attractive to the right level of players.

Probably, but if Guehi and Eze walk out the door it's a different story. I'd also expect that if they're lower than say 12th or 13th at Christmas they'll put more effort into the league and might not win it as a result. They'll be easily forgiven if they go out because of a bad result away from home or something and it'll just be chalked up to a learning experience. I'll be interested to see how long Mateta can keep scoring goals for, he's a player who for some reason I think could have his form and confidence fall off a cliff at any moment.

 

[Silver Silva]

I think Grealish fully reviving his career might be a stretch. I doubt he ever ends up back at a Champions League club, but he'll still have moments of great quality and people will wonder how he's ended up where he has. And then he'll get injured at Christmas and we won't see him play 90 minutes until March.

Wolves will stay up if Jose Sa has a decent season in goal, they'll get points off the sides around them and end up just above relegation. Good sides will regularly batter them though.

It's still van Dijk in my opinion, but by season's end it'll be even more of a debate because I kind of expect City to end up with a more established pairing again now that they've actually bought some wing backs and someone like Gvardiol, Dias or Stones could enter the conversation. If Arsenal actually win something it gets harder to argue with for sure, but I also expect them to be the more conservative than Liverpool or City so theoretically the job they're doing might be a little easier.

For Villa, I reckon European football or a trophy. With Emery there, I think that's the minimum to be considered successful. I'm not saying they should switch managers or overhaul the squad if they fall short of those targets, but I think that's what they need to do to keep progressing and stay attractive to the right level of players.

Probably, but if Guehi and Eze walk out the door it's a different story. I'd also expect that if they're lower than say 12th or 13th at Christmas they'll put more effort into the league and might not win it as a result. They'll be easily forgiven if they go out because of a bad result away from home or something and it'll just be chalked up to a learning experience. I'll be interested to see how long Mateta can keep scoring goals for, he's a player who for some reason I think could have his form and confidence fall off a cliff at any moment.

Crystal Palace coach is Glasner who won Europa League with Frankfurt , seems to be a cup specialist I'm sure he will concentrate 100% on winning the conference league

 

[andruid]

C'mon, it's gameweek 1... please...

Just sit back and enjoy that football has returned.

Fussing and feuding are how some people 'enjoy football'

 

[Uppercut]

Leeds and Sunderland totally outplaying Everton and West Ham is a bit of a story. Seems we’ll get more of a relegation scrap this year.

 

[speirz]

Crystal Palace coach is Glasner who won Europa League with Frankfurt , seems to be a cup specialist I'm sure he will concentrate 100% on winning the conference league

Oh I'm sure he'd love to, and if things are going alright in the league they're definitely a good shout. They'll cruise into the knockout stages for sure, but I can't see him abandoning the league to focus on Europe like Postecoglu did with Spurs. I think in general they'll have a little dip this season. Plenty of extra games to play and they don't have the deepest squad, and I also think there's a chance they lose one or two more players either now or in January.

 

[sledger]

outplaying Everton

Always one of the most underrated great parts of any season.

 

[Thala_0710]

- Does Grealish revive his career at Everton?
- Are Wolves going down?
- Is Gabriel the best CB in the league?
- What is a successful season for Villa?
- Are Palace favourites for Conference League?

Yes (freer role at Everton, wasn't suited to Pep's style of play)
No (Burnley are a certainty, Leeds and Brentford look worse than Wolves to me too)
No (Still Van Dijk for me)
Getting UCL (either top 5 or winning Europa)
Yes (From last year onwards, it has to be an English club 90% of the time onwards with the kind of money coming into the league)

 

[Magrat Garlick]

There are always going to be contentious decisions, but much like DRS, VAR can at least get rid of the howlers.

No it doesn't. It just makes different howlers. Like offsides and handballs who no one in the stadium even dares to shout for.

 

[andruid]

So many more interesting talking points than this. Here's a few ideas:
- Does Grealish revive his career at Everton?
To the extent that he gets a decade worth of EPL level paychecks and no more

- Are Wolves going down?
If not them, then who? Will the bounce they got uner Sa last season be replicated or is their issue terminal?

- Is Gabriel the best CB in the league?
Not really sure. The man mountain named Jaka Bijol may be in with a shout

- What is a successful season for Villa?
Return to the UCL, or some cup success

- Are Palace favourites for Conference League?
Not favourites but they could be a contender.

 

[Ali TT]

But they do. If Tarkovski was a yard away from the shot and his arm was in the same place, guarantee it wouldn't be given.

Yes because he wouldn't have had chance to do his sideways dive. He essentially fell across the shot and in doing so moved his arm towards the ball, creating a wider barrier to block the shot with by having it by his side. Isn't there something about natural and unnatural arm positions? Nothing less natural than falling over with your arm tight to your side rather than stretched out to brace yourself.

 

[Thala_0710]